Tunisia is promoting a small island off its east coast as an alternative to the Canary Islands and Sharm El Sheikh for British holidaymakers seeking guaranteed winter sun.
Djerba, the biggest island in north Africa, is cooler than the Canaries in the winter, with temperatures dipping to an average of 16 °C in January, but it has white sandy beaches, authentic Berber towns and a vibrant café culture.
The island is featured by several UK tour operators as a winter sun destination, including TUI and easyJet holidays, which launched flights from Luton and Manchester to Djerba last November.
“We want Djerba to become an alternative to the Canary Islands and Egypt for winter sun,” Tunisian National Tourist Office Director-General Mohamed Mehdi Haloui told Travel Gossip at World Travel Market.
“We think 2026 is going to be the year Djerba takes off. It’s a small place, but it offers a very diverse product, including nature, history and good food.”
Package holiday prices to Djerba are roughly similar to the Canary Islands, for like-for-like hotels.
EasyJet holidays took agents on a fam trip to Djerba in October, and the tourist board said it is planning to take more of its partners to the island next year.
Following an increase in flights by easyJet, which now operates up to 42 a week to Tunisia, there was a 40% increase in British visitors to more than 395,000 in the first 10 months of this year, meaning the UK has overtaken Germany to become Tunisia’s second-largest European market, after France.
“We expect more than 425,000 British visitors by the end of the year,” added Mohamed Mehdi. “This will be a record year for us.”
He said 2026 could be even bigger, especially as it is planning a major celebration of the 50th anniversary of the filming of Star Wars in Tunisia and Djerba, including a concert in March featuring music from the movie and recreating some of the iconic scenes, which he believes will be a big draw for tourists.
Tunisia has allocated £350 million to reopen or renovate hotels, some of which are undergoing ‘substantial’ upgrades, said Mohamed Mehdi. “This is especially true in areas away from the beach, in the desert and in Djerba,” he added.
“We are also getting a lot of attention from international brands, such as Iberostar, which has already opened one hotel in Djerba and another is due to open next year.”
TUI has recently taken over the Anantara Sahara Tozeur and transformed the property into its new luxury brand, The Mora Sahara Tozeur.
