Israeli tourists were also warned about the danger of terrorist attacks
A warning about the growing terrorist threat in Tunisia appeared on the official website of the Federal Agency for Tourism. With reference to the competent authorities, it is reported that extremists are preparing a series of actions against tourists. And the most likely places for terrorist attacks to occur could be tourist sites on the island of Djerba and in the city of Zarzis. So Russian tourists are advised to be vigilant and take precautions when visiting Tunisia.
The problem of Tunisia is not only the presence in the country of a certain number of people who hold extremist views (it is worth mentioning that among foreigners coming to “jihad” in Syria, people from Tunisia are in one of the first places). The problem also lies in its neighbors - Algeria, where Islamist militants were once very active, and Libya, torn apart by civil war. The republic’s authorities even had to build a 200-kilometer wall on the Libyan border to protect against extremists.
Just over a week ago, Tunisian officials called on the UK government to relax its warning against tourists visiting the North African country unless necessary.
The Foreign Office of the United Kingdom also does not recommend visiting several areas (the area of the Chaambi National Park, a number of points on the border with Algeria and Libya).
In the first half of this year, the number of visitors from Britain to Tunisia fell by 90% compared to the same period in 2015. It is difficult to say what has had a greater impact on the decline in tourism - the recommendations of the British authorities or the fact that last year 31 tourists from the United Kingdom were killed as a result of two terrorist attacks in Tunisia.
Let us recall that in June 2015, a terrorist armed with a machine gun carried out a massacre on a beach full of tourists near the famous resort of Sousse - then 39 people were killed, most of them British. The terrorist group ISIS, banned in the Russian Federation and other countries, took responsibility for the attack. And before that, there was a complete attack by militants on tourists in the capital of the country - in the Bardo Museum. In both terrorist attacks there were victims among Russian citizens...
British tour operators have stopped selling tours to Tunisia after the Foreign Office said there was a high likelihood of further terrorist attacks.
Naturally, the drop in demand for trips to Tunisian resorts has a strong impact on the economy of the Arab country, which once enjoyed the reputation of being the safest and most westernized in the region. And economic weakness, growing unemployment (when beaches and hotels are empty, where can those who worked in resort areas go?) - all this plays into the hands of extremists of all stripes. It is no coincidence that terrorists are targeting the tourism sector.
The Tunisian Ambassador to London Nabil Ammar said that the authorities of his country are doing a great job of ensuring security. “Terrorist cells are exposed every week,” the BBC quotes the diplomat as saying. – Terrorists are arrested or neutralized. This should create a positive image, not a negative one. If you look at the statistics, you are much less likely to die or suffer any damage in Tunisia than in many countries around us.”
According to a representative of the Association of British Travel Agents, the benefits from the development of the Tunisian tourism sector are clear, but the safety of British holidaymakers should be the No. 1 priority for both the Foreign Office and the British tourism industry.
The beaches of Egypt are also not in favor with British holidaymakers (following the terrorist attack on board a Russian airliner, flights from Britain to Sharm el-Sheikh were cancelled) - but demand for holidays in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus is growing.
Israeli authorities issued a warning to travelers to Tunisia last month, saying that terrorist elements continued to operate in Tunisia and carry out attacks, posing a high level of danger to Jews heading to the traditional holiday procession at the El Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba. By the way, in 2002, terrorists tried to blow up this oldest synagogue in North Africa - then about 20 people died from a car bomb explosion.
However, as practice shows, terrorism knows no boundaries - and Paris and Brussels, which seemed so stable, can sometimes turn out to be no less dangerous than the countries of the Arab East...
Meanwhile, Russian tourists vacationing in Tunisia told MK that everything was fine with them.
Nina Shilonosova, editor of MK in Kuban, who is in Tunisia, says: “Everything is calm. There are a lot of police - everywhere you need them. At the same time, they do not bother anyone. Tunisians are very friendly, their attitude towards Russians is excellent, there is no disdain - like in Egypt, for example. Many shop windows even display Russian flags (I haven’t seen any Ukrainian ones). There are a lot of Germans, French, Poles, Ukrainians.”
Ivan Kadochnikov from Yekaterinburg came to Tunisia wearing a cap with the emblem of Ramzan Kadyrov: “I am in Hammamet, right now at the Phrygia zoo.” Regarding safety: yesterday I walked around Hammamet with my family all day, no problems at all. This is a 100% tourist city - 35 thousand locals, the rest are tourists. There is a police station next to us. Everything is calm there. All hotels carry out vehicle searches. We were at the market yesterday in the New Medina - there is a search at the entrance to the market. On Saturday and Sunday we are going on a tour of the Sahara.”
Beach hotel bars serve alcohol even on Friday; All Inclusive does not recognize holy days.
The rest of the stores that sell alcohol in Tunisia (there are only a few of them) are also closing their alcohol departments on Friday. Some bars and restaurants do not serve alcohol to customers.
Friday has its advantages
As in most Islamic countries, Friday is "market day". Each city has a special market, which is attended by farmers and traders on Friday.
Such markets are located far from tourist areas. They are usually open until lunch, that is, before the Juma Namaz prayer, although some are open after lunch. Some are open until Monday, so to speak “weekend markets”.
These are markets for Tunisians, so prices are much lower here. you can buy the freshest (latest harvest) and at a price 1.5-2 times cheaper than in stores. Here you can buy special varieties and very cheaply. But you need to bargain! And hide money and documents in your inner pockets, beware of pickpockets!
If you want to get to such a market, ask the hotel receptionist about its location, they usually know. Or get into a taxi and say the phrase “Friday market”, taxi drivers usually understand.
The most famous market among tourists is located in Nabeul, not far from Martyrs' Square (Martyrs' Square). Tourists from resort hotels come here.
Many hotels have an Oriental Night dinner on Friday. On this day, musicians are invited to play in a restaurant, an expanded set of dishes is prepared, and sometimes an additional show is held in the restaurant or a master class on preparing one of the national dishes.
Where did all these traditions come from and why are they needed?
Any traditions or customs have their own function. In our world, nothing happens just like that.
Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs were mainly nomadic tribes. They roamed in small groups, often families. Naturally, many problems had to be solved outside of one's family or group. For example, buy or sell something, agree on the marriage of a son or daughter, simply communicate with distant relatives, ask for advice, and the like.
To resolve these issues, it was convenient for all the surrounding nomads to gather somewhere in one place and at the same time. With the advent of Islam, the mosque became such a place, and Friday became the time. If everyone gathers on Friday in the mosque for a common prayer, then after or before the prayer it is convenient to resolve matters, since everyone has gathered. In Arabic, the word “juma” is translated both as “Friday” and as “assembly”.
And where there are a lot of people, there is an ideal place for trade and exchange. Hence the tradition of holding a market on Friday. For the authorities, such a meeting has always been extremely convenient; new decrees and laws can be communicated to everyone.
All these traditions have successfully survived to this day, which means they have retained their functions.
Have a good holiday in Tunisia, and read our useful and educational articles about this country for tourists ( links below).
With the beginning of the summer season, Russian tourists planning a holiday abroad are traditionally warned about the dangers that threaten them there. On June 1, Rospotrebnadzor published a “Memo on maintaining health for those going on tourist trips”, which calls for not consuming raw water and food, washing hands before eating and, if possible, avoiding local catering establishments. A more specialized department, the Federal Agency for Tourism, spoke on the topic of safety a day later, and this statement caused a lot of noise.
The Federal Tourism Agency, citing “information from the competent authorities,” reported that terrorist groups associated with ISIS (banned in Russia) are preparing a series of actions against tourists, including from Russia. And the most dangerous from this point of view are the objects on the island of Djerba and in the city of Zarzis, the department noted.
The press service of Rostourism explained to Izvestia that there is no talk yet of closing the destination or calls not to go to Tunisia: these are recommendations for tour operators who should warn their clients about the dangers. The department did not specify which competent authorities that provided such information are being discussed.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) stated in this regard that tourists are informed about the warnings of Rostourism, but since no recommendations or warnings have been received from the Russian Foreign Ministry, they do not plan to change flight programs. ATOR noted that Tunisian tour operators, according to them, did not receive any official information about the terrorist threat.
Last year there were two terrorist attacks in Tunisia directed against tourists, recalls First Vice-President of ATOR Vladimir Kantorovich. - How the situation has changed since then, what they will do there, I don’t know. But in general, we have a practice: when there is a terrorist threat in a particular country, the state does not warn, but takes more effective measures, such as, for example, banning flights (to Egypt) or banning the sale of tours (to Turkey).
This week, Izvestia reported that after the closure of the most popular outbound tourism destinations - Turkey and Egypt - the flow of vacationers reoriented to a number of other countries, and a considerable share of tourists come from Tunisia. According to ATOR, if last year 80 thousand Russian citizens visited this country, which is 80% less than in 2014 (obviously, the economic situation had an impact), but now the number of flights has increased several times.
Tunisia has recently been positioned as a destination that, quite possibly, will replace Turkey and Egypt, and during May a huge number of transportations have been organized there from 20 Russian cities, in addition to Moscow, Irina Tyurina, a representative of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry, tells Izvestia. - Sales were going very well. Tunisia now ranks third in activity after Greece and Cyprus.
She noted that the Rostourism statement will put everyone on guard, and many of those planning a vacation in the near future, especially with children, will be afraid to go.
In general, everyone was in limbo,” Tyurina said. - Particularly suspicious people may even try to hand over their vouchers. People are already calling and asking questions: is it dangerous or not dangerous? Tour operators are required to say that there is such a warning. They can’t say anything more; then the person decides for himself. But if someone wants to return the tour, then this warning is not a reason for the tour operator to return the cost of the tour. And if the trip is soon, this is a 100% penalty. There are tour operators who will offer another destination without penalty. But according to the law, you can’t find fault with them; they will act in accordance with the agreement.
An expert of the Public Chamber of Russia on the protection of the rights of tourists and passengers, Roman Bobylev, told Izvestia that he and his colleagues perceived the warning of Rostourism with bewilderment and it raises a number of questions.
The Federal Tourism Agency does not deal with issues of combating terrorism, therefore the primary source of this information and the authorized government body that could voice this are the FSB, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the SVR, Bobylev noted. - It looks strange to me that there is a statement from the Federal Tourism Agency, but there are no statements from the mentioned structures. This has not happened before: the Security Council and security forces have made and are making statements about the situation in Egypt. I think we will see a reaction from the Foreign Ministry in the near future. I would not be surprised if our ambassador in Tunisia is called and asked to share this information with the country’s authorities.
The expert found it difficult to name the reasons that prompted the department to publish such a warning.
It is unlikely that the head of Rostourism, Oleg Safonov, is pursuing the goal of filling Russian destinations in this way. Knowing him personally, I am sure there is no interest in closing the Tunisian direction. Perhaps this is an excessive initiative of certain officials in Rostourism, Bobylev said.
He also drew attention to the fact that recently Russian tourists have become much more wary and more vigilant: they show more interest in the warnings of Russian government agencies, go on excursions less, spend more time on the hotel premises (however, this is also due to for reasons of economy). Tourists call hotlines and ask whether it is calm in the country where they are thinking of going, and whether there are any warnings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tour operators are asked more questions. If previously the guide would talk about something on the bus and there was often no feedback - everyone wanted to get to the hotel faster, now everyone is keenly interested in what is happening in a country where it is unsafe, where to go if something happens, - said Bobylev, according to calculations which the flow of Russian tourists traveling abroad on package tours this year has decreased by 4–5 times.
Recently there have been many terrorist attacks in various places - both in Europe and Asia. “We are all immersed in this involuntarily,” ATOR representative Vladimir Kantorovich tells Izvestia. - Tunisia, Paris, Brussels, Egypt, Turkey, Israel - terrorist attacks by Islamic radicals occur all the time. Too often to forget about it. They don't let us forget.
Traveling to Tunisia or Thailand can be very dangerous if you travel through these countries alone. The Federal Tourism Agency recommended that our citizens be more careful in places where many people gather, and not purchase random excursion tours from strangers. Similar warnings have been published before, but now they contain new, much more alarming wording. Read more - Vesti FM correspondent Sergey Artemov.
Our fellow citizens traveling to Tunisia and Thailand need to be extremely careful and cautious. The Federal Tourism Agency reported on its website about the dangers that could threaten Russians there. In particular, in Tunisia, which borders Algeria and Libya, where the IS terrorist group banned in Russia is active, tourists should observe personal safety measures, be vigilant and cautious, especially while staying in popular resort areas - Sousse, Hammamet, Monastir and the island Djerba. There is no need to go on unorganized, especially solitary, trips to the south of Tunisia, especially to the border areas, and it is better to avoid crowded places.
In Thailand, there is a high level of terrorist threat against Russians from radical Islamist groups operating in the country. And then there are new phrases that have not previously been found in such documents: “Attacks can be carried out in the form of emergency situations with branded tourist vehicles, arson, biological and chemical contamination of accommodation sites and display objects with imitation of the natural causes of these events.” According to our information, information about potential terrorist attacks came from the intelligence services. Their analysts do not exclude the possibility that criminals could install their people as bus drivers, cooks and waiters in restaurants, and cleaners in hotel rooms and corridors. And – probably even guides to historical and cultural attractions. A recent example of sophisticated mimicry: 2 years ago, militants attacked hotels on the Tunisian coast, dressed in the uniform of the Tunisian army. 30 people were killed then.
In addition, the department instructed travel agencies operating in these areas to inform clients about possible threats. We contacted one of the companies to buy a tour to Tunisia. Her employee is Elizabeth- I was unaware that tourists need to be warned:
- We have not yet received such information from Rostourism.
- So, you don’t warn tourists yet?
- No…
Also, nothing about the department’s instructions was heard in another company where I tried to arrange a trip to Thailand:
- We haven’t received this from Rostourism yet. Not yet. If they send it to us within 24 hours, then there will be talk that Rostourism has made such a mailing.
The Rostourism document also urges travelers not to buy local excursions from strangers. Company Manager Olga She said that this is standard advice from travel agencies. For obvious practical reasons:
- Don’t buy excursions from different comrades - we always talk about this, yes. You have representatives who are responsible for you. If you buy excursions on the street, then your health insurance does not work. Nobody bears any responsibility for you.
The warning from the Federal Tourism Agency is, of course, a serious matter, and those who are planning to travel to Tunisia and Thailand soon should definitely listen to it. But, the document itself is not a basis for returning an already purchased voucher at full price, she explained to us Olga:
- As it was with Turkey - when the country at the leadership level decided that visiting Turkey was prohibited, then there were full returns.
- Then there are no penalties?
- Yes, sure. If Rostourism simply doesn’t recommend it, let’s say, but people are flying, and at some point you decided to cancel because that’s how it is, then there will be no 100% refunds. There will be penalties under the contract.
That is, if a tourist becomes very worried and decides to return the tour package to Tunisia or Thailand, he will lose money. The more, the less time remains before the trip. Official representatives of Rostourism declined to comment on their warning, but recommended that tourists, if they find themselves in dangerous places, follow all instructions from the local police and always keep the telephone number of the nearest Russian consulate with them.
A warning about protests in Tunisia was announced by the Federal Tourism Agency on Friday. According to him, the country should be wary of unrest “against the backdrop of socio-economic problems,” and terrorist threats also remain relevant. Let us note that Rostourism published a similar warning in 2016, then the Tunisian tourism authorities had to take measures, refuting Rostourism’s statements and proving that holidays in Tunisia have long become completely safe.
“According to the information available to the Federal Tourism Agency, against the backdrop of socio-economic problems in Tunisia, protests by the population and student unrest are possible, especially in the capital and southern regions of the country. In addition, terrorist threats from militants of the ISIS organization banned in the Russian Federation, operating from the territory of Libya and Algeria, remain relevant. Currently, the administrative and legal regime of a state of emergency continues to operate in Tunisia,” Rostourism said in its warning. Accordingly, the department calls on tour operators selling tours to Tunisia to warn their clients about the situation in the country.
“Rosturizm recommends that Russian tourists planning to travel to Tunisia observe personal safety measures, exercise caution and caution while staying at the resorts of Sousse, Hammamet, Monastir,” the statement also says. In addition, tourists are advised to observe “behavioral restrictions characteristic of Muslim countries, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, which began on May 16” and “to refrain from unorganized, especially single visits to the south of the country, the territories bordering Libya and Algeria.”
Let us recall that in 2016, at the beginning of July, Rostourism and possible terrorist attacks in tourist areas. At the same time, Tunisia at that time was considered by many, including Russian officials, as one of the main alternatives to Turkey and Egypt. As a result, the country required urgent high-level meetings between the Ambassador of Tunisia, Mr. Ali Goutali, and the head of Rostourism, Oleg Safonov, as well as the organization of press tours to convince tourists of the country’s safety. As a result, by the way, Tunisia received a record for attendance - over the past 2017, 800 thousand Russian tourists visited it. In March, Tunisia declared its determination to break this record this season.
And this time, tour operators also adopted the refutation method in practice. " This season, this destination is in high demand among Russian guests. To date, the host office in Tunisia reports that the situation at the resorts is calm. We also do not observe any complaints from tourists or cancellations. However, the recommendation of Rostourism is posted on our website, partners will be informed about it,” the press service of the tour operator Anex Tour told the TURPROM information group correspondent. Experts also noted that a group of journalists and bloggers are currently in Tunisia together, so it is possible to quickly inform about the situation - and the situation at the resorts is calm.
