Karem Dassy “Tozeur is a destination in itself”

The Saving Association of the Medina of Tozeur (ASM) has been created in 2001. Despite some actions, it remained dormant and in the pay of the former regime until 14 January 2011. Today, strong of its fifty members, the association extends beyond the monuments and important work on memory in the human field. His recent projects include ecology, developing skills, crafts, map of the city of Tozeur, … Interview with Karem Dassy, President of ASM, led by Amel DJAIT

1001Tunisie: Mr President ASM Tozeur, today is a happy day. You just close a project for the support and development of tourism in the city of Tozeur. What are the contours and results?

Karem Dassy: First training of local tour guides. They now have business cards and plied their trade legally. We also highlighted some components of our heritage by putting signs in the city and in the oasis to develop, explain, educate, discover …

On the other hand, we are renovating the tourist carriages to allow community members to provide quality services and accommodate tourists in a more modern tool, comfortable, suitable ….

Specifically, does that mean that the circuits are available? Are the carriages in circulation? Contacting local guide and what are the prices and how to book?

The customer has the choice of the circuit. He can do a circuit in the city of Tozeur, in the oasis or in the entire region. It may the carriage rides in mountain biking, trekking ….

How long does take the circuit and when to book?

The circuits are variable. There are two general circuits but one can also make thematic tours such as “The Circuit of Water” in Tozeur. Pricing is not yet defined. Regarding the carriages, they will be ready by the end of 2016. Note that you can borrow and enjoy tours by alternating modes, alone or with friends and with or without a local guide. You can also go to the station of caléchiers  on the main avenue of Tozeur and decide on your program.

What was the goal of this project?

Presenting the region differently! The idea is to give space to those who know best the region to share their knowledge and experiences. A national guide will be beautiful and competent, and there will always be shades, anecdotes, subtleties that can not be shared. We want the local guide to present his region more passionately .

Beyond this passion, which needs Tozeur and the Tunisian tourist destination, the project he has not mobilized a lot of time and need for education, proximity to local players who can be demotivated by these days? What were the main challenges for the ASM Tozeur? Does the association was able to play the role expected of it?

The liver is the heart of the project! We strongly believe in the potential of our region and we have worked in this direction. But make no mistake, the difficulty is not to mobilize people. The challenge is to push forward to dying in context.

Recent events in Sousse or Bardo pushed the parties and the population to shrink in relation to tourism. So we had to keep the fire and hope. We had to ensure that the operators still believe in the sector. A sector that is buoyant and has a future, except that this time, it’s hard!

People still believe in tourism?

Absolutely. But they need a little bit of acceleration. Besides, it’s going much better and the return of the premises we feel of tourism on the area.

What are the future projects of the ASM Tozeur?

We have in our suggestion box several projects for which we are seeking funding. I would mention in particular the participatory management of fire risk in the oasis. This is a project that we carry with other associations of the city of Tozeur. This is an emergency, because we need to consider the risks associated with various changes including those of the climate.

That is to say ?

We see the abandonment of some gardens and a fire upsurge especially in the traditional oasis. We must deal with this phenomenon to support tourism in the region but mainly to protect biodiversity.

Finally, according to you, what would be the concrete and urgent measures to open up the region and move the lines?

First, governance and it did not appeal to the city of Tozeur only. The whole country needs a new tourism governance. Centralized structures are obsolete structures and it is time to hand over to regional structures. That is to say to people on the ground who propose another reading and vision of their region.

Then I think it’s important to create a TO working on the destination. Tozeur no longer be a region Tour. We are a full destination and have enough to accommodate, animate, retain and return customers.

Finally, what about your project, Tozeur first ecological region of the country?

This is a project that is born of our past. In Jerid we experienced with the principle of zero waste in which everything was transformed into the oasis production process. We lived ecologically well before it became fashionable worldwide. Reconnecting with the past is a necessity!