1001 Tunisie: You are the organizer of the salsa festival has been a great success and attention. Why the festival has been suspended since the revolution?
Moez Ben Salem: I was the Director of a complex organization committee which included Tunisian and French. During the 2009 and 2010 editions, we were supported by sponsors, including the National Office of Tunisian Tourism (ONTT). When we thought to organize an edition, even on a small scale in 2011, we had no support; therefore we preferred to “jump” the 2011 edition and think of 2012. Unfortunately, the political instability that prevailed throughout 2012 and that has affected the image of Tunisia in Europe , did not allow us to achieve our goal and we finally give up.
Do Dance festivals have a tourism potential?
Without a doubt. Regarding the two previous editions in Hammamet, they attracted respectively 300 and 350 foreign delegates. This figure could even explode if we could continue along the same lines. Just to compare, the Marrakech Festival annually attracts nearly 2,000 attendees.
What are your best memories of passed festivals?
Undoubtedly, the publishing opening show 2010. A group of 16 young dancers and Tunisian dancers, flanked by a couple of Swiss choreographers offered a magnificent spectacle to the applause of 500 spectators! It took 6 months of rehearsals to prepare this show !
What are the most important festivals of Latin dances in the world?
There are more festivals around the world and in different cities. The festivals that have me most are those of Marseille, Monaco, Berlin, Zurich, Milan, Marrakech, Istanbul and especially Athens …
You are going out to a new generation of organizers. What would you advise?
I advise them seriousness and perseverance. They should not think about the profitability of the event, during the first 2 or 3 years. You have to give credibility to the event and ensure that it is positioned as a fixture in the international art scene.
What are the main obstacles to the holding of cultural international events in Tunisia?
The major difficulties are those of being able to pay the salaries of foreign artists. Good artists charge high fees, some 2000 euros for a delivery of 5 minutes and a one hour course!
The Tunisian dinar is losing momentum, stamps are increasingly hard to pay. We also need to find foreign currency (Euros or Dollars), which is not easy!
The Ministry of Tourism and ONTT must get involved and help young ambitious and serious developers. This could be an excellent niche for Tunisian tourism.
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