Tunisia's tourism minister Salma Elloumi, who has been talking to Majorca's leading hoteliers.

Tunisia's tourism minister Salma Elloumi, who has been talking to Majorca's leading hoteliers. | Fethi Belaid

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma05/10/2016 00:00
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While there is talk of destinations in the Mediterranean affected by terrorism making a comeback next year, one of them - Tunisia - is not about to benefit from the return of leading Majorcan hotel chains.

The Tunisian tourism minister, Salma Elloumi, has been in Majorca and has met with representatives of the Big Four hotel groups - Barceló, Iberostar, Meliá and Riu. She explained new security measures that are now in place and the support that the Tunisian government is giving to the tourism industry. She had hoped to convince the hotel groups to return to the country and indeed to increase their previous involvement in the country's tourism.

She was thanked for having visited, but it was a no thanks. Barceló, Meliá and Riu all expressed a reluctance to reactivate their presence in Tunisia. For Riu, it is a particularly sensitive issue, as it was its hotel - the Imperial Marhaba - where 38 tourists were killed by IS-inspired gunman Saifeddine Rezgui during the terrorist incident in June 2015.

Following that incident, Riu cancelled all its contracts in Tunisia. Barceló had two establishments but at present has none; the same applies to Meliá. Iberostar has four hotels via a joint venture with Thomas Cook.