The Belgian government is committed to increase the number of Belgian tourists in Tunisia. The number of Belgian tourists is expected to rise from 25,000 in 2017 to 50,000 by the end of this year. Tunisia is expecting 8 million tourists during the 2018 tourist season.

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The precise origin of the olive tree (in latin Olea europaea) is shrouded in mystery. Persia, greater Jordan, and the Valleys of the Nile each have their advocates. Some also contend that the cultivation of the olive began around 5000 B.C. on Crete and the neighboring Greek Islands. What we can say with certainty is that cultivation began a very long time ago, somewhere in the Near East and spread slowly westward across the Mediterranean Sea. All major civilizations of the Mediterranean have played a part in the dissemination of the olive throughout this region: Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans.

The ancient Greeks believed the olive tree was a gift from the goddess Athena and began using olive oil in their religious rituals. Homer, the immortal Greek poet, called olive oil « the golden liquid » and the Greek Laws of Solon, during the 6th to 7th century BC, prohibited the cutting down of olive trees on the punishment of death.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, in 2014 the world production of virgin olive oil was 3.05 million tonnes, a 9% increase over 2013 global production. Spain produced 1.7 million tonnes or 56% of the world production. The next four largest producers – Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco – collectively produced less than half of Spain’s annual total. In all the Mediterranean countries there are specific regions producing olive oil. However there is one country where you can find olive trees from Nord to South: Tunisia.

Combining success and tradition, Tunisia is one of the few countries to perpetuate manual harvesting techniques. Inherited from the old Roman Carthage, the legend says that in peace time (no war with Rome) Hannibal lead his army to the Country of the Sahel (Sousse and suburbs) to farm Olive trees so that to keep ready for any circumstance.

Nowadays, Tunisian olive trees are present everywhere in the country. Tunisia’s olive oil resources are estimated at more than 65 million olive trees, cultivated on 1.680.000 hectares of which 75.000 are dedicated to organic farming. The olive sector employs 57% of the country’s farmers and accounts for 45% of agricultural exports. According to the campaign 2014/2015, Tunisia was 1st world exporter of olive oil.

Fact is that everywhere in Tunisia you can find an olive tree. However, there is one city claiming to be the hub for the production of olive oil: Sousse. This city is located 140 kilometres South of the Tunisian capital and it’s the third largest city of the country, after Tunis and Sfax.

Although the city is known as a touristic destination, the most important olive oil manufacture and industries such as Huilerie Loued are located there too.

The history of Huilerie Loued goes back to 1928, in Moknine, in the Sahel region of Tunisia, when Abdessalem Loued Senior officially turned his father’s small manual olive oil mill into a promising business and called it M’asarat Al Wed. In other words, Huilerie Loued. Since then, this family never stopped branding the Tunisian olive oil.

According to Nouha Louedi, Marketing Manager of Huilerie Loued, the key secret of Tunisian olive oil quality is in respecting tradition. “The olives are carefully picked by hand at their optimal degree of maturity. No pesticides are used. Harvest is manual to get healthy fruits, to avoid harming the tree, and to preserve the aromatic flavours of the olives in order to guarantee the production of a premium olive oil” she said.

Tunisian olive oil always suffered from the strong competition European producers. We all heard the tale that Tunisian olive oil is sold to Spain or Italy and is then rebranded as Spanish or Italian. It is important to underline that Tunisian olive oil is the main agricultural product exported to the European Union.

Aside the hard competition, « there is still an insufficient branding of our products” explained Mrs. Louedi. “We are still taking baby steps to improve the layout and presentation of our products and also to exchange best practices. For instance, last April, Sousse welcomed for the first time an international salon exclusively dedicated to olive oil” she concluded.

Good to know:

Where to find top quality Tunisian Olive Oil in Brussels? La petite épicerie bio
Address: Chaussée de Waterloo 42, 1060 – Brussels

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Consequences of the Arab Spring: mixed feelings

The multiple Arab revolutions, known as the Arab Spring, began in Tunisia on December 17, 2010 following the self-burning of Mohamed Bouazizi, in Sidi Bouzid. The death of this young street vendor sparked an incredible movement that was quickly spread to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Although, the Tunisian revolution is considered by the authorities has essentially non-violent, it caused the death of 338 people.

If the Arab Spring in Tunisia is considered has a positive happening for the country providing hope for its citizens and a better image to the international community, both terrorists attacks in Bardo and Sousse damaged dramatically what Tunisia conquered.

The famous Bardo National Museum, in Tunis, was attacked by three terrorists on March 18, 2015 causing the death of twenty-two people, including twenty foreigner tourists. Just three months after, on June 26, 2015 a mass shooting happened at the resort Port El Kantaoui, causing the death of thirty-eight people.

These terrorist attacks were both a human and economic catastrophe for the Tunisian authorities. The country couldn’t afford to lose a sector that counts 8% of GDP, provides thousands of jobs and is a key source of foreign currency. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Tunisia lost 25% of tourists in 2015 compared to 2014.

Six years after the overthrow of the Tunisia’s dictator, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali,  the main challenge is how to maintain the current investment and attract new ones.

How to brand safety? 

With an eye to Italy, Tunisia seems to be the natural bridge between Europe and Africa, between the East and the West.

“We are one of the most competitive economies in Africa and the first one in North Africa” stated Khalid Laabidi, General Manager of the Tunisian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency. “We were victims of bad press regarding both terrorists attacks but you should have in mind that we were and are also victims. We were not prepared for what happened. We were under shock for quiet some time but the new government took measures in order to provide, again, a safe environment” he concluded.

“I was already working in Tunisia before both the revolution and the attacks. Personally, my business didn’t suffer any negative impact. I have a few clients back from Europe that are sometimes sceptical about investing in Tunisia or working with me. It is a constant battle to explain that the economic environment is safe.” explained Carlo Battaglia, business partner of Magic Yachts. Carlo is based in Bizerte where he developed his business of creating and restoring boats.

“The process of creating a company in Tunisia is quiet simple and efficient.  The authorities established a concrete strategy in order to attract and maintain european foreign investment. In my case I’m working within the headquarters of the Parc d’Activités Économques de Bizerte where I have all the conditions to boost my business” he concluded.

A new Investment Law, which came into force on the April 1, 2017, offers multiple advantages to foreign investments such as:

1. total freedom of foreign equity participation for offshore companies.
2. reduction in the number of authorisations and review of the relevant specifications.
3. freedom of access to land ownership for the realisation of the investment.
4. guarantees to the investor in compliance with international standards for fair and equitable treatment and for the protection of industrial and intellectual property.
5. freedom to transfer of funds (profits, dividends and assets) abroad.
6. possibility to hire 30 % of foreign executives during the first 3 years by simple declaration and 10 % thereafter with 4 executives guaranteed in all cases.

Is Tunisia going towards a low cost brand?

“Income tax rate was reduced in 2017 to 10 % for totally exporting companies. We think this is an important measure in order to attract more investment. Another pillar of our strategy is to explain that we do have an excellent human capital able to work in different fields” stated Mr. Laabidi.

There are around 70 000 graduates in Tunisia per year and 35% of which are engineers. The engineers’ wages are way lower compared to Europe. It ranges between 286 Euros (700 TND) and 448 Euros (1100 TND) whereas in France it would range between 2700 Euros (6620 TND) and 3000 Euros (7356 TND).

Luca Galfetti, another Italian expat and project manager of CPT, a company located in Bizerte, confirmed that lower wages played a very important role on  the decision to open a company in Tunisia. “I’m very happy with the quality of my workers even if at the beginning I experienced a cultural shock on how to approach work”.

“We don’t want to brand the country as only a competitive cost location. We acknowledge that lower wages are an added value  for our economy however it’s more important that the investor understands that it is easy and quick to open a company in Tunisia; that we have an excellent human capital and that we are located in a perfect geographical position that will allow the investor to have its final product back in Europe in 48 hours. This is our message” summed up Mr. Laabidi

Tunisia hosts 3200 international companies that generate 300,000 jobs. France, Italy, Germany and Belgium are the first industrial investors in Tunisia. 2017 seems to be a turning point for Tunisia’s economy.

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Bizerte was founded around 1100 BC by Semitic Phoenicians and it has been visited and controlled by several populations, such as Romans, Vandals (northern tribes from nowadays German areas), Turkish people and French for decades. In fact, it always embodied a fundamental role in commerce and a strategic point for military strategy. On one hand, it was ideally located between Europe and Africa, making the commercial exchanges and travels easier and richer; on the other hand, it represented the perfect spot where to host military vessels, ready to leave for any Mediterranean city at any moment, which made of Bizerte an even more appealing and strategical spot for the populations who invaded it. In 1881 Tunisia became a French protectorat; it acquired the independence in 1956, four years after hosting Habib Bourguiba and his speech to promote the country’s desire of detaching from France. Nonetheless, Bizerte was the last city to be freed by the French control, in 1963.

Bizerte still preserves some architectural and artistic elements of the former populations and influences, hidden around the city, like the French structure of some houses, the use of decorative and colorful tiles and the lively market hosted in the centre, very close to the main Mosque and the Church Notre Dame de France.

The market is indeed one of the elements that should be seen in the city: the streets fill up with stands, carts, animals and objects. Walking around, the senses get submerged by the colors, perfumes and sounds of the street: three or four stands expose incense and perfumed herbs, lighting up few branches to make you appreciate the exotic smell; some women lively chat around the fruit stands, comparing pieces and  exchanging recipes and gossip; men crowd up around a shoe seller, who’s screaming his lungs out to advertise the newest model arrived; some kids play with stray kittens in the middle of the street, while others help their parents with customers and chores. A group of men is lazily drinking coffee in a terrace, observing the coming and going of people; farm animals walk around and chew straw, sheep in particular.

In fact, if you seize the occasion and visit Tunisia at the end of August, you’ll see hundreds of them scattered around, along the streets, on roundabouts, in the city centre or at the market: people are hurry up to buy them before the 1^st of September. On that day this year, the Muslim community celebrates a religious festivity called “Aïd Elidha” (in Arabic, in Tunisia is also known as “Aïd Elkabir”), or the “sacrifice day”. It is one of the main festivities of Islam and it remembers and celebrates the episode of Ibrahim (or Abraham), who accepts to sacrifice his only son Ismael (or Isaac) to God, without questioning the order received. Before he sacrifices his son, God sends his angel Jibra’il (or Gabriel) to stop him and exchange Ismael with a sheep. The festivity aims at celebrating the devotion and commitment to God as show by Ibrahim: for this reason, sheep and other farm animals are bought, fed and well raised. It is a bit surprising, for a western gaze, to see this intense commitment to traditions and celebrations: people take care of every detail and aspect of the holiday to celebrate their faith and spend an important day with their loved one, sharing a meal and a day together.

From the market, keep walking towards the harbor and enjoy the nice view: colorful boats are anchored one close to the other, while others slowly glide away on the water’s surface, towards the open sea. On your side ancient Roman walls accompany your walk till the sea and to one of Bizerte’s old points of access. The sea has been, and still is, a crucial element for the city: it has been a means of connection with other populations, and the principal source of food. Bizerte is famous for its cuisine focused on fish and sea-food and you will have a taste of it if you visit the Sport Nautique, the most famous restaurant of the city.

Take a seat in the back veranda with a view on the sea and get ready for a delicious lunch. The starters consist of octopus, gambas, squid and Tunisian salads (finely chopped veggies mixed with olives and chili, for an extra spicy touch). Try the bread from a local bakery and indulge in the tomato tapenade: exquisite! Move then to the main dish, fish -of course- that changes every day, depending on what has been fished and bought. All the ingredients are fresh and tasty and they truly represent the spirit and traditions of the city. To finish, get a mint tea, warm and sweet, and relax. The salty breeze, the ships sailing by and few kids diving from the pier complete the experience and add that something more that will make the whole experience unique.

Bizerte and the areas around it are famous among the locals for the uncontaminated  beaches, free from the oppressive presence of resorts and buildings, and ideal for private trips surrounded by silence and the rumble of the waves. For this strong connection between the sea and the city, sea lovers have found in Bizerte the perfect place for investing: more and more yachts pass by in the marina every day, stopping to see the city and to try the great gastronomy, attracting in turn, a growing group of foreign investors. Some factories, in fact, moved one or few of their branches to Tunisia, seizing its economical and international growth to optimize the costs of productions. They see in the country a valid possibility of self-development, given by tax facilitations, lower costs and skilled manpower.

The strategic position of Tunisia plays, as well, a crucial point in the investors’ decision: it is often perceived as the ideal country for international contracts, since it has open, deep understanding and connections with both Europe and Africa. As in the past, it connects perfectly different cultures and needs, adapting itself to the necessities and work environments. Carlo Battaglia, business partner of Magic Yachts, remarked multiple times the convenience of developing its company in Bizerte. His laboratories, hosted in the Parc d’Activités Economiques de Bizerte (a partnership both private and public that hosts and support foreign investors in Bizerte), restores and creates boats. Carlo said that although he was first skeptical about moving the business to Tunisia (there is still the idea, among investors, of economic and political unsafety in the country), he is now quite happy with his decision: he said that Tunisians adapt and learn fast, are well prepared on the subject and work enthusiastically on projects. The company is therefore able to offer quality products for both Europe and international customers, like Japan.

The growing opening to international actors attracted also other investors from different sectors, like CPT, a company specialized in the production of industrial machines. Its spokesperson, the project manager Luca Galfetti, confirmed the positive remarks made by Mr Battaglia, underlining the advantages of a scarce competition in the territory and the fast-learning character of the locals. Nonetheless, he noted that there are few difficult points in the process. First, it can be hard for the workers, in particular at the beginning, to accept and apply a foreign approach to work, reporting issues and doubts to the chiefs of department and working cohesively. Second, he said that under a personal point of view, it’s hard to start a new life in Tunisia: integration among locals it’s a long and intense process, so expats often don’t mingle too much and go out together. Night-life and socializing can be long and difficult too, and these aspects should be considered before moving to Tunisia.

Bizerte is a calm city that, despite the passing of time, the influences of many different cultures and the difficulties faced, keeps alive until nowadays its strong character, its structure, its past. It is slowly renewing itself, investing more in factories and in the primary sector, but still keeping its connection with the Mediterranean sea strong. It is still one of the most important spots in the modern commerce routes and it still represents a crucial point of contact between Europe and Africa. Bizerte keeps an eye on the past and protects its origins, while working on its potential and transforming itself to reach the future.

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