Tunisia holds out welcome cup
2004-01-29 14:29
Tripoli - Soccer crazy fans, beautiful women dressed no differently to smart Europeans, and exceptionally congenial shop owners are some of the immediate impressions of Tunisia.
This is a country that welcomes tourists. Even though Tunisians do not drink alcohol as a rule, wine is served and cultivated here.
Tunisia is a small country. It is no bigger than 164,418 sq km, with a coastline of only 1 287 km.
The country has a rich in history and several historical sites date back 2 500 years, when the great city of Carthage dominated the area.
About 62% of its residents are urbanites, with a million living in Tunis, the capital and the biggest city.
Income is derived from service delivery, including tourism, fishing, mining and the manufacturing industry.
And as far as sport goes, soccer is by far Tunisia's favourite pastime.
Colourful characters
The African Cup of Nations is presented in Tunisia for the third time this year and the country hopes it's third time lucky for them. They have never been able to win the cup, losing to Ghana in the final in 1965. Supporters are passionate about their side.
Taxi drivers are eager to discuss the game and soon mention Bafana Bafana when they realise you are a South African. A coffee shop at the seaside tourist resort Sousse, is called Bafana.
Hamid Lejimi, the owner says the name stems from the 1996 finals when Bafana Bafana beat Tunisia 2-0 in Johannesburg.
"We were convinced the cup was ours on reaching the finals, but Bafana Bafana was just too powerful. I liked the name and decided to give it to my coffee shop," he says.
The country has many colourful characters that make it a friendly place.
Mohamed la Trech, who owns a shop in Sousse, provides prices for his wares in Dutch. La Trech is fluent in English, French, German, Dutch and Arabic.
"I like languages and acquired them over the years. I like talking to my clients in their own language," he explains.
He mourns the fact that tourism was dealt a heavy blow following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US in 2001. "We are punished for deeds that we had no share in."
Nothing is cheap
Similar to South Africa, Tunisia is a country of cultural diversity and is seen as a champion of transparency and moderation in its international policies.
Tunisians say the country is committed to a democratic process where religion is not an issue. On the contrary, political parties having any kind of religious base is forbidden under the constitution.
Sousse tourism board public relations officer Monica Guerdira says Tunisia is a modern Muslim country.
She refers to the country's alcohol policy: "We are very tourist friendly and therefore any kind of alcohol is available in hotels and restaurants. We are close to Europe and as a French-speaking country we have adopted European customs."
Tunisia is however, not a cheap country. Shopping can put you seriously out of pocket and restaurant prices are similar to those across the sea in Italy.
"As many citizens have small salaries, we have adopted the extended family system: households have two to three breadwinners, making it easier to balance the budget," says Guerdira.
Female power
Women are seen as men's equals, she notes. This is unusual in a Muslim country but the tradition stems from 19th century personal status traditions that were passed into law in 1956 - revolutionary legislation for the region.
Intermarriage is illegal and divorce can only be settled in a court of law. A family planning programme was initiated to curb excessive population growth.
Women vote, study and serve in government. And women earn equal salaries to men in similar professions.
Legislation giving women status as equal partners in marriage was passed in 1993.
Over a quarter of the work force is female (including teachers and health care workers).
In excess of 10 000 Tunisian companies have women at the helm. In politics the country boasts five female cabinet members and 11,5% of women are members of parliament.