20091208
Tunisia's tourism sector made over 3.21 billion dinars ($2.5 billion) representing a 2% rise from January to November 2009.

Amid the global economic crisis, the northern African country's tourism industry is striving, according to reports from state-owned news agency, TAP.

Revenue from visitors has become the country's top foreign currency earner and the biggest employer after labour-intensive farming, according to Reuters.

In 2008 about 7 million tourists visited Tunisia between January and November, and a record $2.6 billion was realised, according to the ministry.

"The indices we have registered remain much better than the expectations of the World Tourism Organization," Tourism Minister Khelil Lajimi told TAP.

The North African country has been responding to lower consumer spending in Europe, its biggest tourism market, by trying to attract higher-spending tourists and through increased spending on advertising.

Lajimi said Tunisia's tourism industry hopes to obtain in 2009 the same result as last year or better.

Tunisia has a population of 10 million and it is one of the most visited countries not only in northern Africa but in Africa as a whole.

Africa News