Author: Anaïs Prado Cornaro

Southern Tunisia landscapes

How Can Tourism Fight Mass Emigration?

How is Tourism Connected to Mass Emigration? Insight into the Opinions of the People still living in the South of Tunisia 

Migration is one of today’s most pressing issues, especially as more and more conflicts arise and the climate crisis worsens. Such events often lead to mass emigration: the process of considerable parts of a population leaving their homelands in search of a better life.

The effects of large-scale immigration into countries are no stranger to media coverage and political discussions. But what people often forget is how such large population movements affect the sending countries and those left behind. 

This blog will cover the impacts on one of the origin countries — Tunisia. In addition, the blog will answer the questions of how tourism can help and, more importantly, how the people still living in the southern, mostly abandoned villages, feel about it.

Migration in Animals
Migration is not limited to humans: Animal migrations are a worldwide phenomenon. (Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya)

Why do people emigrate?

Migration is a significant part of our history: humans have been on the move since their existence. Back then, migration was a means to take advantage of new and rivalless lands offering basic human needs. The more time progressed, war and colonialism became more central drivers of migration. Ancient expansions like the ones of the Greek Dynasty, the Roman Empire, Imperial China, or, more recently, the Europeans leaving for the “New World“ led many people to leave their region of birth. Other conflicts like the Jewish Diaspora, the partition of India, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and the Second World War events are just the tip of the iceberg. The past has even seen climate-related migration – Roman settlements in Egypt had to flee due to the absence of monsoon rains.

The latest IOM Report estimates there were around 281 million international migrants in 2020. While that number also includes migration out of necessity – forcibly displaced people – the significantly larger part leave voluntarily. So why exactly do so many people feel the need to take on such journeys out of choice?

The IOM has defined six factors that drive people to migrate.

  1. Labour

  2. Family

  3. Inequality and uneven development

  4. Education

  5. Armed conflicts, violence, and human rights 

  6. Environment and climate change

What are the economic Effects of Mass Emigration on the Sending Country? 

The effects of mass emigration on the sending countries can be boiled down to three main exchange factors. These can have both negative and positive economic impacts on the country of origin. 

1. Workforce Flow

The migration of workers in search of employment results in a decrease in the labor pool in the origin country. This can relieve unemployment, lower job competition, and raise salaries for remaining workers. However, when such migrations surpass the necessary amount, it can result in workforce shortages with detrimental effects on the economy. 

2. Brain circulation

Brain circulation is the movement of skilled laborers, for instance, doctors. In developing countries like Haiti, the out-migration of skilled labor (brain drain) can be a huge loss, especially concerning the health and education sector. 

3. Remittances

Emigrated workers often send home money to their families, giving them vital support and contributing to the home country’s economy. Remittances can add up to a significant amount and reduce poverty, encourage consumption and increase a household’s investment in education. 

All of this doesn’t sound too bad. However, reducing the workforce, especially skilled laborers, will slow a country’s productivity in the long term, resulting in a further downward spiral of its economy and the living standard of those remaining. An article published by the OECD stated that “In the long term, emigration can even turn into a poverty trap: because emigration helps relieve the pressure on the labor market and remittances constitute a social safety net, governments may not see the need to reform labor markets and social welfare systems.”

So, the advantages can, in the long run, outweigh the initial gains and hinder the country from developing policies and containing the human capital needed to sustain itself.

What Effect does Emigration have on those left behind?

Imagine nearly every person you know wishes to move away. Imagine some of your friends or family died while chasing hope. Unfortunately, that is the reality for many people in developing countries around the world. 

Most of the time, migrants are sole voyagers, leaving behind families, friends, wives, and children. It is often too expensive and nearly impossible, due to immigration restrictions, to bring entire families overseas. So many of them resort to separation from their loved ones to send home remittances. 

The stress of not knowing whether they will survive such journeys, as migrants often take on illegal and dangerous ways to reach their destination, makes the situation even more dire. Tunisia’s closest foreign landmass is Italy. The Central Mediterranean Migration Route connects the two countries. According to the IOM, it is the world’s deadliest migratory route. Since 2014, the route supposedly took the lives of 25,331 migrants.

The image of this woman in the ocean represents the powerlessness many family members of migrants feel.
Many feel left alone and powerless when all of their loved ones live overseas.

Mass-Emigration in Tunisia 

Tunisia is a migration hub: Tunisians account for the high number of departures, and the country is a highly used transit state for Sub-Saharan Africans. 

How has history shaped Tunisia’s Emigration?

Since Tunisia gained independence, Tunisians have been emigrating to European countries. In the 60s and the 70s, Tunisians left their homelands for a better life on the other side of the Mediterranean. Mostly they settled in France, their former colonial power. The 80s and especially the 90s saw the first big surge in departures. However, in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution, numbers peaked at a never before seen high. 

The Global Initiatives Research Report, Losing Hope, states that irregular migrant departures are at the highest point since the peak in 2011. According to the Migration Data Portal, as of 2020, Tunisia had a total of 902,000 emigrants. And Diaspora for Development states that 6.9% of Tunisians live abroad.

Who are the Tunisians that emigrate, and why? 

So, why do so many Tunisians feel the need to take on these harrowing journeys? To answer that question, we need to know who the emigrants are and what problems they face.

In the Global Initiative’s Report, they found that the migrant profile has changed in the recent past. It used to be overwhelmingly males aged 18 to 35 with minimal education and mainly from the lower class. Now you see more and more women and children joining, sometimes even whole families. Even the economic state of migration has changed. For some, high education and employment are no longer reasons to stay.

Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Tunisia has experienced social and economic difficulties driving people to leave. The financial situation has drastically declined since 2017. Meanwhile, Inflation is affecting the poorest, and the quality of life has significantly deteriorated for the middle class. In addition to losing their buying power, Tunisians have to deal with high unemployment rates, especially with the youth and individuals with advanced education. Furthermore, a significant part of the population lost faith in the government to stabilize the issues at hand.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has only fueled the fire. A great part of the Tunisian economy comprises the tourism sector. Moreover, like many countries, Tunisia had to endure the troubles of global health restrictions leading to further unemployment and hopelessness.

Tunisian women walking down a street Djerbahood dedicated to the extreme emigration in the country.
Two Tunisian women walking through an alley in “Djerbahood”, a street art project in the South of Tunisia, dedicated to the extreme emigration in the country. (Erriadh, Tunisia)

What is the Situation like in the South of Tunisia?

Not only is Tunisia experiencing emigration out of the country but in Tunisia’s southern areas, particularly Dahar, the villages have suffered great losses from rural depopulation. The region in the Djebel Dahar mountain range was a refuge for the ancient Amazigh tribes, sheltering from the Arab Invasion. There they were able to live their unique way of life — mastering the art of living in these harsh but beautiful lands. The traditions they developed live on to this day thanks to strong individual efforts to preserve these ancient ways. 

However, in the age of Bourguiba, there was a drive for modernization and Arabization. Starting in the 60s, the majority of the Amazigh mountain people had to relocate to the “new” villages, leaving many of the historic mountain towns to crumble away.

Today the region is not only suffering from unemployment but is simultaneously experiencing a devastating drought, driving even higher numbers of people to leave. As a result, only a handful of authentic Amazighian old towns are left, where families are fighting to live their old way of life. Amongst them are Chenini, Toujane, and Matmata.

Illustrates the beauty of the Amazigh villages that are being emigrated from
View from one of the last inhabited Amazigh villages, Chenini, Tunisia.

How can tourism help?

Tourism is one of the world’s biggest industries: it contributes a tenth to the global GDP and creates 1 in 10 jobs worldwide. So harnessing this immense power and using it for the good should be an overall goal. According to the UNWTO, tourism is a recognized pillar of most Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNWTO believes that “tourism can be harnessed as a significant force for the alleviation of poverty, as well as for environmental protection, giving economic value to cultural heritage, creating employment and generating foreign exchange earnings.”

According to the IOM, most migration moves from underdeveloped and developing countries to larger economies. Desperation drives people to escape poverty, dire employment perspectives, and political and social instability. The UNWTO claims that three-quarters of people in extreme poverty live in rural areas and that tourism has the advantage of reaching locations far from economic centers. Thus, tourism is one of the few industries that can provide profit for people struggling directly in the places they live, supporting the local communities.

So authorizing organizations like Solimar International, who are dedicated to a sustainable approach to tourism, namely sustainable tourism for development, can directly work towards eliminating these emigration drivers.

Three reasons tourism can foster development and reduce out-migration

1. Create new job opportunities

Tourism not only requires the direct employment of workforces in the hospitality sector but also allows locals to either indirectly or directly sell their goods and produce to tourists.

2. Foster development 

Especially in rural, underdeveloped, and disadvantaged areas, the introduction of tourism depends on developing basic infrastructure. Such investment will simultaneously benefit the local communities. (roads, water supply, electricity, network connectivity, and so on).

3. Provide a chance for further education and development of skills

An increase in tourist activity can encourage individual education and incentivize state-financed training.  

Tourism can directly counteract at least three major migration drivers: Labour, inequality and uneven development, and education. Furthermore, several other benefits from tourism can positively affect the local communities.

  • A healthy exchange of culture can lead to increased awareness, the adoption of new knowledge like languages, and even the empowerment of neglected groups.
  • It can lead to crucial individual acknowledgments of the community’s assets. By noticing the incoming interests, it may lead to locals appreciating their own wealth and culture.
  • It can promote inclusiveness, further gender equality, and empower youth and women. According to the UNWTO, in Africa, women make up 69% of the tourism labor force.

South Tunisia’s Relation to Tourism

Tunisia is well-known for its tourism, a popular Mediterranean destination for many Europeans. However, Tunisia’s tourism mainly concentrates on the coastlines, and tourists rarely venture land inwards. 

In the Regional Development Planning of the Southern Region in the Republic of Tunisia Project, the report states that Tunisia’s tourism development must consider how to minimize “regional disparities between coastal and inland areas. Moreover, now, tourism shall consider how to involve local communities. In this context, the GoT (Government of Tunisia) is trying to exploit the new tourism products, especially ecotourism supported by international donors.”

Tourism won’t help fix Dahar’s drought or create job opportunities for everyone in need of them. However, it can create perspectives for specific individuals and their families. Even more so, small communities, like the ones in Dahar, are often very tight-knit and share profits. 

The Perspective of Dahar’s Residents

It is critical to listen to what the local people think about this important and extremely sensitive issue. Following are some interviews with local Amazighian people living in the South of Tunisia, specifically the Dahar region. Some of them work in the tourism sector, whereas some do not. They voiced their opinions on the issues they face, their attitude toward tourism, and their aspirations.

Residents of a town many people have emigrated from.
Ismail & Ibrahim, two men in their early 30s, take their herd to the surrounding mountains to let them feed and graze naturally on a day without work. They are some of the only people still living in the old town of Chenini. They live in the traditional Troglodyte homes below the Ksar with their family. It is hard for them to find work, especially as they have no connection to the tourism industry. When they can find work, they usually do construction labor.

Wael: Wael is a young man living in the town of Zmerten in the Governorate of Gabés. He works in the town’s café, which rarely sees tourists. 

“Firstly, each region has its own customs and traditions. Here, in Zumraten, 76% of the inhabitants are now displaced. Most of them are young people. The elderly do not want tourism. I understand that this offends their customs and traditions. On the contrary, young people are very open to all cultures and want a good education and a better standard of education and living. But every youth is ruled by an elder, his father or mother… I am conscious that harmony, tourism, and cultural exchange are very important, but despair has settled. In all their thoughts, young men want to get married, do business, and do commerce, but our geographical location has become the biggest obstacle for us because we have no workplace, and even agriculture has become seasonal. And after many years, you are threatened with displacement because work has become non-existent.”

Amal: Amal is a 27-year-old woman, born in the small town of Oued El Khil, Tataouine. She studied in Sfax for a few years but returned to her hometown for an internship with the newly emerged Destination Management Organization, FTADD. Since then, Amal has dedicated as much time as possible to the region’s future by using tourism as a tool for development. She is a hard-working and emancipated woman but feels a deep connection to her ancestral traditions and the Amazighian way of life, which she is dearly trying to protect.

“Well, we have several issues, but mainly employment and the expensive prices in Tunisia are the main issues. Education is another problem because those who have left mainly have a high education level. This country didn’t give them enough opportunities, so they left. Everyone is affected, Tunisia is losing thousands of young people, and the economy is suffering.”

“I can’t tell the exact number of how many have left, but you can see it in our villages. Most of our villages are abandoned due to emigration. This year we had thousands of young people leave the South, precisely Tataouine, to European countries like Italy and France. Many of these thousands sank in the sea, which is heartbreaking.“

“It is not a very good feeling. I don’t want to judge those who left, because losing hope can let people do more. But I always had this thought that you are a stranger unless you are home. Big cities may give more opportunities, but nothing feels like home.

“I think tourism can really help, and we already have enough examples in Dahar about how tourism helped change people’s lives. It is more than creating job opportunities; it makes them believe in what they have — seeing it as something that can attract people.”

“And as well, we noticed a difference in the female situation. We are having more female entrepreneurs, which is amazing in a domain dominated by men.” 

“Tunisia has a lot to offer; hopefully people will see Tunisia as more than an all-inclusive package. I want people to visit Dahar and share their opinions about it. We are an emerging destination and are trying to succeed to highlight our unique heritage. Hopefully, more people will come to see my people, our heritage, stories, and history. We have a lot to offer.”

Aloui: Aloui is 22 and lives in the old village of Chenini, Tataouine. He was born there and has lived there his entire life. Now he works in the town’s only café and tries to earn additional money by giving tourists a tour of the town and explaining its history and how it lives on today.

“I don’t know many people; I don’t have many friends, I am good. There are those who left and haven’t returned, and there are those who left and returned to Chenini. Yes, life is hard here. It isn’t a walk in the park; there is no work, so people leave the country.”

“Here in Tunisia, there is no good education. The biggest problem in Chenini is the lack of tourism. All the inhabitants of Chenini love tourism. Tourism is a pleasure and a comfort. I prefer to stay here, as long as tourism comes to us, to Chenini.

Although tourism won‘t fix all of Tunisia‘s problems and provide perspectives for the entire population, it can relieve communities and some individuals. So when choosing your next destination, you can always think about more than just your own benefit — and while enjoying your holiday, even help the local communities.

If you are interested in supporting such causes and unsure where to go next, check out our project sites and get inspired!

Tourism is truly a booming industry and affects many people around the world. Some destinations have flourished, but many have had to endure the negative aspects of tourism. Taking into account all of the global issues we face nowadays, such as climate change and pandemics, it is now more crucial than ever to assure a destination is thoroughly planned and effectively managed. In this blog we cover the question of what a destination development plan is, what process it undergoes and why every destination needs one.

What is Destination Development?

The development of a destination is the process of evolving the location’s supply side of tourism in order to meet the area’s tourism demands. This can be achieved by adding supporting infrastructure, including accommodations, transport, technological advancements, but also intangible aspects like workforce development. Destination development will automatically occur when the demand for a destination increases; so it is vital to ensure it is a strategically executed process.

Why is it important to plan a destination’s development? 

Planning a destination’s development is a crucial process, which provides tourism organizations with the needed tools to achieve a common goal. In any destination the necessary steps must be taken early on in the process to prevent unhealthy growth. 

How do destinations change over time?

Destinations can evolve quite drastically over time, especially emerging destinations. Emerging destinations typically have more local participation. As they become more developed, they get an influx of foreign investors and business owners who can change the feel of a destination.

What are the social impacts of tourism?

It is more or less inevitable for a destination with an attractive tourist offer to become popular. Take for example an emerging destination. With an increase in visitors, more and more outside business interests will see it as an opportunity. Once international interest for the area starts to increase, new challenges and barriers emerge for service providers as they don’t have the training and knowledge to capture markets coming from outside the country.

Without a destination development plan that considers growth, as well as the needs of tourists and service providers, destinations are going to miss that market entirely. This can lead to another investor from the outside with the necessary expertise taking advantage of the growing market.

This in return will entirely change the visitor experience. The destination will lose its authenticity: its uniqueness and with that its ability to compete and differentiate itself from other destinations. 

How can tourism planning help the environment and its protection?

Generally global tourism isn’t known for being environmentally friendly. Increased demand leads to an increase in travel, as well as the destruction of nature to acquire greater space and resources. Even further, this is all done for the few “good” months of the year, in which tourism is optimal.  

However, by introducing a tourism strategy, it is then possible to minimize these effects and maximize the environment’s protection. 

By including a careful assessment of the region’s environmental problems as well as possible threats it could face with an increase in tourism into the destination analysis, one can set a clear goal. One can include these critical environmental aspects into the objectives and incentivize the creation of policies that can protect the destination’s environment. 

In addition, tourism generates two key resources that can be harnessed to protect the environment. 

  • Increased financial income: Earmark a portion of the profits and direct them towards local environmental conservation activities.
  • People’s engagement: Reach agreements with local beneficiaries to make an individual commitment to support the project outcome. 
Set the roots for sustainable destination development
Set the roots and groundwork for sustainable and maintainable growth early on.

What is a Destination Development Plan?

Destination Development Plans (DDPs), also known as Destination Development Strategies or Destination Management Plans, are all closely related tourism plans.

Tourism plans are holistic strategies, dedicated to a defined tourist area, which based upon intricate destination research and a market analysis, form destination specific objectives and correlating approaches. The strategy is designed to create a guiding plan to develop and manage a destination to its specific needs and reach a common goal.

The strategy should always have an outcome in mind to maximize local economic profit and set the groundwork for sustainable and maintainable growth.

Solimar International refers to the term Destination Development Plan, as for most of their sites, development is a major part of the objective. 

What does a Destination Development Plan generally include?

Destination Development Plans can generally be split into two halves. 

  1. Situation Analysis: A detailed evaluation of the destination’s current state. This would include information on existing tourism assets, available tourism services, the industry’s performance and its competitors, as well as involved parties for tourism policy, management, marketing and investment. 
  2. Future Goal: Concluded from the analysis, the future goal is both the desired outcome for the development of the destination as well as the means to get there. It is vital to agree upon a shared vision and form several strategic objectives to focus on.
Chasing a shared destination vision
Make sure you chase a shared and reasonable goal.

How do you make a plan for a Tourism Destination?

The process of making a plan for a tourism destination can differ. This is greatly affected by the type of stakeholders that are involved and especially whether the destination already has a Destination Management Organisation. However they usually all follow similar steps of action.

In the Visit Tunisia Project, where Solimar was contracted to develop a National Tourism Strategy and six regional destination development plans aligning with the national strategy, the process underwent the following steps.

Developing a destination should go step by step
Destination development planning should be a step by step process.
  1. Understand the place and all of its attractions.

    This is especially important for consulting companies like Solimar. Foreign entities cannot just come in and create a plan for a destination; in order to gather on-site knowledge and incorporate different local perspectives in the plan, it is imperative to involve local stakeholders in the process.

  2. Understand the visitor.

    This step will directly influence the path a destination will take. It is important to figure out what kinds of people visit the destination, for how long and when. Once this is understood, it will provide vital information on visitors’ behavior and how to better attract your target audience. This will shape the future of a destination.

  3. Inventory what services are available. 

    It is crucial to understand the destination’s existing human capital, as well as infrastructure (including accommodations, tourist facilities, transportation, signage, retail, hospital facilities, payment options etc.)

  4. Bring it all together with the SWOT Analysis.

    The SWOT Analysis is a final conclusion, drawn from the situation analysis, which displays all of the internal, as well as external positives and negatives to a destination: the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

  5. Develop the future vision and its major objectives. 

    With the accumulated in-depth knowledge from the situation analysis, you have the groundwork for what the obtainable future vision will be. The main goal will then be divided into several clear objectives and the needed approaches. Here the destination asks itself, in what direction should this development go? 

  6. Set the plan up for success by ending with an Action Matrix.

    The process of making a DDP already brings its own benefits, however it can easily be abandoned once development begins. Therefore it is indispensable to create a plan of action to accomplish the objectives aimed for. Each strategic initiative should have several actions dedicated to it. For each action it is important to identify the partners responsible for its implementation and create a timeline (near-, mid-, and long-term).

What entities are involved in the process of making a Destination Development Plan?

The question of who is in charge of making a destination development plan, as well as what kinds of entities get involved, mainly comes down to whether the destination already has a DMO which in addition needs sufficient resources and knowledge to complete such a process. In the case where there is not a DMO or they don’t have enough of an experienced workforce, they hire a consultant such as Solimar.

Apart from the DMO or consulting company, there are three separate levels of partners involved in the process of making a destination’s strategy. 

  • Donor: With emerging destinations especially, donors make up the first layer. For example, in the case of the “Visit Tunisia Project,” the donor is USAID. 
  • National level partners: Government institutions or independent organizations given the power by the government to manage the tourism sector or other intersecting sectors. Examples of these include the Ministry of Tourism in Namibia, the Forest Department of Liberia  or the Ministry of Environment in Uganda. 
  • Local industry associations, such as tour guide associations, hotel owner associations or artisanal associations. This third level, especially for emerging destinations without an established tourism organization, creates a deep connection with local stakeholders and lets the local community be represented.

What is the purpose of a Destination Development Plan?

The general purpose of a destination development plan is to guarantee a long-term positive outcome for a destination. It takes into account a destination’s assets as well as opportunities that it’s missing out on. Among the goals of the destination development plan, one is to ensure the destination is competitive and delivers a strong product to satisfy visitors. However more importantly, it creates the framework and guidelines for sustainable development of the destination.

What are the main objectives of tourism planning in a Destination? 

The main objectives for any tourism plan are to:

  • Increase visitor satisfaction
  • Assure a destination’s competitiveness (and foster its uniqueness)
  • Maintain participation and integration of local communities
  • Use of resources and the environment in a sustainable manner
  • Protect cultural heritage 
  • Stimulate Economic growth

In order to achieve these goals, destinations will set up several objectives tailored to its specific needs.

What are the benefits of destination planning?

In addition to making a destination competitive, proper tourism planning will provide perspectives for local communities, ensure the protection of environmental and cultural resources and protect the destination from being overwhelmed by the industry.

So by taking a destination’s assets into account these strategies serve as a guidance tool to tourism organizations. If executed correctly, this creates benefits for more than just economic growth. Planned destinations can:

  • Involve the local community and provide income
  • Minimize environmental impact and drive some of the profits towards its protection
  • Support a destination to stay true to its traditions and uphold its culture
  • Improve understanding of different cultures and relations between guests and hosts
  • Prevent over-tourism
  • Make it more than just another “beach experience”
Destination Development Plans guide the process for the desired direction
Destination development plans help define the desired direction and reach the goal.

What makes Solimar International’s help effective? 

Although each destination is different, the process of making a destination development plan doesn’t change significantly. Not only is the knowledge needed regarding how such plans are structured, but experience and knowledge of the tourism industry is also necessary.

Through Solimar’s vast experience, gained from 200 projects and over 500 destinations, the organization boasts the complete suite of tools needed to help destination’s reach a sustainable goal. This knowledge includes: 

  • Developing a well-defined and well-successful formula for such plans
  • Incentivizing the participation of various stakeholders and create a space for collaboration
  • Having the understanding of the most effective marketing tools that exist 
  • Being well-networked within the private sector of the tourism industry and being well versed in investment promotion
  • Having repeated experience with the later implementation of such plans

If you want to learn more about how tourism can help destination’s develop in the right way, and how our work makes a difference, check out our Virtual Internship Program!

“We rely confidently on Solimar's deep technical experience and professionalism as tourism consultants. You always are exceeding our expectations.”
Leila Calnan, Senior Manager, Tourism Services Cardno Emerging Markets

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