Following the recent attack on Tunisian beach, in the resort town of Sousse, that claimed 39 lives, the country expects to lose approximately $515 million. This amount is a quarter of the country’s annual earnings from tourism.
The huge loss would have a negative impact on the country’s economy since the revenues from the tourism sector contribute to about 7% of the gross domestic product. The attack came after another one that took place in the Bardo museum.
In comparison with last year’s revenue from the tourism business, which amounted to $1.95 billion, the expected decrease in tourism numbers and revenue will be a big blow to the industry. This is according to the tourism minister Salma Loumi, who also added that the Tunisian government is planning to end the visitors’ tax and review the debt relief in the aim of sustaining the industry.
Various security measures and efforts have been put in place to curb the situation. The government has assured that more than 1000-armed police have been deployed in the tourism sites to patrol the hotels and sites and an army back up put in place to boost the security. Suspects connected to the attack have already been arrested and further investigations are ongoing. The investigators are also carrying out a detailed verification of the suspect Saif Rezgui, on whether he has been training in jihadist camps, which are in the neighborhood of Libya. He has given some substantial hints about this influence and radicalization of his family members and the friends within his hometown.
