Madar (Tunis) - Tunisia's Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Sofiene Tekaya, announced at dawn on Sunday, 15 November 2026, that Tunisia will be the capital of Arab tourism in 2027 and that his ministry is already preparing a programme of events covering several fields, the daily La Presse de Tunisie reported.
The announcement came as the minister replied to members of the Assembly of People's Representatives and the National Council of Regions and Districts during a joint plenary session on his ministry's budget, part of the draft 2027 state budget.
According to the paper, the designation was decided by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism at its 28th session, at which Tunisia was also elected a member of the executive bureau and vice-president of the council.
The programme being prepared covers tourism, culture, handicrafts, sport, investment, digital, the environment, heritage and education, and aims to present Tunisia as a beach, cultural, desert, ecological and sports destination, the minister said.
Tekaya said the event would strengthen the profile of Tunisia as a destination in the Arab world, highlight its cultural and tourism assets, diversify its tourism offer and promote its regions, with direct benefits for businesses in the sector, professionals and artisans.
He added that coordination with the parties concerned has already begun and that the final programme will be set soon before being officially announced, with each stakeholder assigned a role in carrying it out.
