Tunisia’s tourism recovery has brought back volume. Under Mohamed Mehdi Haloui, the next task is to improve the quality, spread and economic value of that demand. He became director general of the Tunisian National Tourist Office in April 2025, moving into the top role after serving as the organisation’s investment director and working directly on tourism development projects.
As investment director, he encountered the central weakness in Tunisia’s recovery proposition: demand can return faster than ageing assets can be renewed. Financing hotel renovations is difficult when rates are low, seasons are short and operators carry legacy debt. Haloui’s experience evaluating projects gives him a realistic view of what marketing can and cannot fix. Stronger demand must create enough pricing power to support refurbishment and a better product.
As investment director, he encountered the central weakness in Tunisia’s recovery proposition: demand can return faster than ageing assets can be renewed. Financing hotel renovations is difficult when rates are low, seasons are short and operators carry legacy debt. Haloui’s experience evaluating projects gives him a realistic view of what marketing can and cannot fix. Stronger demand must create enough pricing power to support refurbishment and a better product.