TUNIS (TAP) - Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said before the representatives of one hundred travel agencies, diplomats and Tunisian and foreign investors, that "his government will strive to guarantee security, to resume, this year, the normal pace of tourism trade."

In his address, on Friday in Tunis, on the fringes of a workshop on "Tourist Flow to Tunisia Destination," Mr. Jebali said that "tourist trade is a determinant factor for the stability of democracies, given its close relation with the individuals' freedom."

"In spite of the difficulties the sector is facing, Government is optimistic about the future of Tunisian tourism," he went on saying, stressing that the country already made an important step on the path of transition and that the new Constitution "will see to it to guarantee the individual freedoms, strengthen the foundations of citizenship and establish fair justice and free press."

On the economic level, the Government will strive to boost the private sector and promote investment in the different sectors, notably in tourism, he asserted.

Action will focus, he also said, on introducing reforms in the tourist field, such as increasing the budget allocated to marketing and promoting the Tunisia destination on the foreign markets.

For his part, Tourism Minister Elyes Fakhfakh said that the 44% drop in the tourist flow from Europe in 2011 impacted the activity of air companies and travel agencies present on the Tunisian market.

He went on saying that Tunisian tourism, despite its human, natural and cultural assets, did not make the most of progress recorded by world tourism (5% each year).

In this connection, the sector, he specified, requires structural reforms, particularly in matters of training, marketing and communication, in addition to the diversification of the tourist offer.

"To this end, we will endeavour to make the most of the successful tourist experiences and carry out the necessary structural reforms," he pledged.

According to a Tourism Ministry's source, good signs are perceptible in the rise of bookings during the last period, notably originating from such traditional markets like France and Germany.

In Tunisia, the number of European tourists fell by 26% in January 2012, compared with the same period of 2011, and 44.1% for the whole year of 2011 compared with 2010.