Projet : Trans-Tunisia Hiking Trail

Job Title:  Tourism Expert

Location: Tunisia

Mission: Leaders International

Hours:12 working-days

Reporting to: Country Manager – Tunisia

Background:

Tunisia has long been an attractive and bargain tourist destination for European travelers. It is known for its all-inclusive packages including airfare and hotel. Most European tour operators that control international tourist arrivals, target coastal cities known for their golden beaches, sunny weather, and affordable luxurious hotels. 

Recently, Tunisia has initiated policy dialogues to reconsider its tourism strategies amidst the new global trends and to think about ways to promote new forms of tourism that encourage the creation of sustainable tourism projects based on cultural and environmental alternative tourism. Tunisia’s tourism industry is in urgent need of strengthening and diversifying the quality of products and services offered to meet the new customers’ aspirations and needs. 

Travelers seeking nature and recreational/adventure experiences are an opportunity, they represent a fast-growing market globally and are becoming more resilient, being less affected by the political unease of the region. Such travelers are primarily interested in experiencing the natural attractions by engaging in physical outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, or cycling which creates increased opportunities for economic benefits to the local communities. 

The current project is considering the challenging situation of the tourism industry and tapping into the potential of hiking activities as a sustainable and creative way to promote alternative tourism, revitalize the country’s inland cities and rural areas and generate new opportunities for sustainable employment for Tunisian youth. 

This project is implemented in partnership with The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), under the Tounes Wijhetouna program, co-funded by the European Union and Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Objective

The project aims to promote the growth of Tunisia’s alternative sustainable tourism products and their contribution to employment. In collaboration with public and private partners and representatives of civil society, the project aims to strengthen the tourism offer by improving the quality of products and services offered by alternative tourism activities. The project aims to implement an innovative and demand-driven approach to build the capacity of major actors in alternative tourism. 

ACTIVITY

We are looking for a Tourism expert to conduct a series of focus groups. The first of these focus groups will be designed to identify the key sites and routes around the country which may be considered as essential in a hiking itinerary for a long national trail. The second focus group will be designed to verify a path to be designed by the project team with the aim of connecting the main areas of the country. The third focus group will be designed to rate options between the most important segments that can be developed by the project. In each of these focus groups, questions pertaining to the social impact, safety, feasibility, and maintainability of the trail will be key guiding themes in developing the discussions and arriving at the most relevant and feasible segments to be developed through the project.

The consultant will conduct further discussions with the local stakeholders, including local government entities responsible for the chosen regions and other public entities with relevant jurisdictions. Based on that, the consultant will develop an assessment report that presents the vision for the national trial and identifies the 4 main segments for early quick wins.

Scope of Work:

• Facilitate three (3) focus group discussions with stakeholders involved in the development and management of the trails. 
• Conduct meetings with other relevant stakeholders
• Develop an assessment report to highlight the status of the sector in Tunisia

Deliverables:

• An analysis of focus group discussions with relevant and well-reasoned recommendations.
• An assessment report of the status of the hiking sector in Tunisia

Duration of Work:

•      12 working days

Qualifications Required:

•      Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Hospitality, management, or related fields.
•      Over 2 years of experience in managing Touristic initiatives, with a concentration on inbound tourism in the MENA region.
•      Excellent research, communication, and reporting skills.
•      Fully proficient in software packages (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
•      Previous work experience with donor-funded programs focusing on upgrading Tourism in the MENA region.
•      Fully proficient in Arabic and French. Fluency in English is an asset.

Taxes and other Terms:

• The offer should be including VAT
• For individual consultants, Applicable tax laws apply