Tourism in Tunisia fell sharply following two separate fatal terrorist attacks in the first six months of 2015, but during the interim period Tunisia's cruise and tourism executives have continued to engage with the cruise community hoping for a return of business activity. Most recently Tunisia exhibited as par tof the MedCruise pavilion at Seatrade Cruise Med 2016 in Tenerife.
Seeing Europa tied alongside the berth was a pleasurable sight, Maha Ben Slimene, marketing and communication manager Goulette Shipping Cruise told Seatrade Cruise News.
La Goulette was Europa's second stop on a classical music-themed 14-day itinerary that started in Barcelona, and will include 11 more stops in Algeria, Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Onboard are several vocalists performing as part of the International Stella Maris Contest in partnership with eight opera houses from around the world.
As usual, a warm welcome was given quayside to the passengers who were greeted by riders on camels and presented with jasmine. Local performers provided Arabic music and dancing displays. An exhibition of local handicrafts was popular with passengers who then proceeded on a half day excursion to discover the ruins of Carthage, Carthage Museum, the village of Sidi Bou Said and the Medina of Tunis.
In the afternoon, a reception was held in the village with the help of tourism and port authorities in honour of the captain of the ship, its staff and passengers.
Tunisian tenor Hassan Doss sang in the La Gouletter Cruise Village theatre followed by a cocktail reception and a tasting of Tunisian sweets.
As the ship departed for onward sailing to Skikda in Algeria every passenger was given a goodbye gift of a bottle of Tunisian wine offered by the National Office of Tunisian Tourism.
Viking Cruises are scheduled to make six calls at la Goulette between January and March 2017.
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