(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Tunisia's key tourist industry, still struggling to recover from the effects of the 2011 revolution, registered a 6.4 percent increase in 2014, the tourism minister said Thursday.
Amel Karboul told reporters that the industry, which represented seven percent of gross domestic product before the revolution, is in crisis and needs structural reforms.
She also acknowledged that, according to studies done in Britain, Germany and Italy - Tunisia's main European markets - the country's image is "mediocre".
"I regret to say that the situation now is bitter... Quality is a real problem," said Karboul, noting that 40 percent of Tunisian hotels "have been downgraded since 2005."
"We need structural reforms, otherwise tourism, which is in crisis, will plunger further," she said.
Her comments came as the ministry released official statistics showing that revenue from tourism last year rose 6.4 percent to 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion).
But that increase was far from the 14.5 percent record achieved in 2010.
In contrast to revenues, tourist arrivals dropped by three percent last year.
However, the number of arrivals from neighbouring Algerian surged by 35 percent.
"They represent our top market, a priority for us," said Karboul.
She also note a recover in tourism from the three major European markets, saying this is "very encouraging."
"The bad news, however, is that here is a drop" in arrivals from France, Russia, Scandinavia and conflict-hit Libya.
Karboul said some French travellers had cancelled trips to Tunisia following the January 7 attack on the Paris headquarters of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people.
Some Tunisians had criticised the weekly for publishing cartoons of the Muslim prophet Mohammed, an action considered taboo by most Muslims.
Tourism was battered by the political and security turbulence that followed the 2011 revolution which also saw the emergence of radical Islamist militants.
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