Tunisia is the only country that has managed to complete a democratic transition after the Arab Spring, a revolution that occurred in 2011. However, like many other territories, it has not been able to get rid of Islamic terrorism, which in recent months is led by the Islamic state And, as you already know, a couple of days ago he suffered a terrorist attack at the Bardo Museum, a massacre that killed 21 tourists and two terrorists.
In recent months, Tunisia had recovered as a tourist destination, but this dramatic event is beginning to have negative consequences in this sector, which is the second source of income for the country. In fact, there are many cruise operators that have canceled their stopovers in this country and numerous agencies that have begun to register cancellations. That is why today at Vuela Viajes we want to talk to you about whether or not it is safe to travel to Tunisia. Would you like to join us?
More security than ever
As a result of the terrorist attack in Tunisia this week, many people are wondering whether this destination is safe or not. The truth is that this country continues to be in the crosshairs of the Islamic State, although it is clear that after the events that occurred in the Bardo Museum, security measures will increase considerably. In fact, the Tunisian Tourist Office has wanted to convey messages of tranquility, ensuring that security has been reinforced so that a similar event does not happen again. However, it will be difficult for the images of the attacks to be erased from the many tourists who planned to spend a few days on vacation in this country full of cultural and natural attractions.
Tourists weren’t the main target
One of the pieces of information that may leave all the people who wanted to travel to Tunisia in the coming months more calm is that, apparently, at first the terrorists wanted to attack the Parliament, where they were talking about laws against the jihadists . However, this did not go as expected so they decided to commit an attack on the museum.
What the Foreign Ministry says
One of the things that every traveler should do before starting their trip is to take a look at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where information on dangerous destinations can be found. Although the data on Tunisia have not been updated since last January 19, the truth is that already then reference was made to the latest events on the international scene, ensuring that “the real risk that Western citizens may be object of an attack or kidnapping ”. For this reason, Spaniards are advised to increase precautionary measures, avoid risky situations and unnecessary travel, and register at the Spanish Embassy. They also made reference to the fact that the evolution of the democratic transition process had considerably improved the political situation in the country. Of course, they made it clear that the risk of terrorist acts remains.
Cancel a trip to Tunisia
If you have scheduled a trip to Tunisia and you are determined to cancel it, you should know that travel agencies are not obliged to refund your money, since this is only considered in cases of force majeure. Interestingly, the terrorist attack is not considered as such. Therefore, unless you take out cancellation insurance, you will not be able to recover the money invested. Of course, if you had organized the trip on your own, you should bear in mind that canceling the hotel room reservation will depend on the contracting conditions.