Tunisian Tourism Minister Salma Loumi

:: Tunisian Tourism Minister Salma Loumi announced that expats living in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are now exempted from visas previously required to enter Tunisia, which cost SR200 ($53) and was available for 15 days, according to Sabq.

This decision allows more than 25 million residents in GCC countries to enter Tunisia and get a visa at airports and border crossing points under one condition: Expats should carry a valid residence permit from any of the GCC countries.

This initiative follows efforts which began over a year ago to promote Arab tourism, and a visit by Prince Sultan bin Salman, head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), during the first Tunisian-Arab Tourism Investment Forum.

Loumi clarified that this decision is among procedures implemented by the country to boost Arab and foreign investments in the Tunisian tourism sector.

Statistics have shown that until September this year, Tunisia had received over 4.5 million tourists, and these figures are expected to increase to 5.5 million tourists by end of 2017.