SUN, SAND, SOUSSE

As tourists slowly return to Tunisia after a difficult decade for the North African country, Phil Thomas uncovers its pristine white beaches, Ottoman tiles and ancient amphitheatres

- Phil Thomas

You quickly realise that the cats and shoppers of Tunis's medina have a lot in common. They move easily through the narrow alleys, sweeping past slow-moving tourists, the shoppers in billowing abayas, the cats with their backs arched haughtily, both utterly confident in their direction of travel.

The same can't be said for me. The walkways all look identical and the clamour is relentless: carts piled high with vegetables while locals sip tea from low stools and engage in animated debates. The stallholders, meanwhile, are masters at tailoring their language and sales patter to the perceived nationality of the tourist. I'm clocked immediately as a wandering Brit.

“Good price for you, guv'nor. Cheap as chips, my friend.” I try – and fail – to suppress a smile, which gives the game away. Moments later I'm being ushered inside, falling for a centuries-old trick that still works to perfection.

After a difficult decade between the 2015 Sousse terrorist attack and the Covid pandemic, tourism to Tunisia has firmly rebounded. In the past year alone, nearly 450,000 British holidaymakers have visited, supported by over 50 daily flights from across the country. So why go now? This spring marks 70 years since Tunisia gained independence from France – a milestone that feels particularly apt for travellers re-encountering a country long defined by others.

Alongside its Mediterranean coastline and some 300 days of sunshine a year, Tunisia offers an unusually concentrated sweep of history for its size, and a country that still feels rooted in its geography and heritage, rather than chasing the tourist dollar. Prices remain considerably more affordable for visitors than in regional tourism heavyweights Morocco and Egypt.