Through its Tourism Innovation Fund (TIF), USAID Visit Tunisia is providing grant support to 9 Tunisian tourism businesses in Jendouba, Beja, Bizerte, Kairouan, Mahdia, Tozeur, and Kebili. This activity is tailored for innovative product development and marketing expansion to tourism businesses to accelerate growth and innovation. The grant implementation phase is ongoing, and the impact results will follow once the implementation activities are completed.
The USAID Visit Tunisia’s grant support aims to increase the sales of the 9 tourism SMEs by at least 10% and create/sustain jobs. Additionally, through marketing campaigns and content production support for selected ‘market-ready’ experiences, USAID Visit Tunisia aims to increase their online visibility by at least 20%.
Helping Innovative Product Development and Marketing Expansion
In May 2022, USAID Visit Tunisia launched the $550k Tourism Innovation Fund (TIF), aiming to award grants for innovative product development and marketing expansion to tourism businesses to accelerate growth and innovation. As of February 2024, nine (9) Tourism businesses are receiving grants under this program and making concrete and long-lasting positive changes to their business.
Overall, the grant funds received aim to help touristic businesses overcome key challenges and implement solutions to keep growing and innovating even more. Some of the TIF grantees will use their funds to create diverse tourism products, services, and experiences like outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, launching ecological farms or new tourist workshops, and new tourist activities like cooking shows, or medicinal plant-based experiences. Others will be able to purchase adequate equipment such as tents, camping equipment, solar panels, electric bikes, and other equipment to upgrade their installations/venue, expand their tourism offerings, boost sales, and increase their booking capacity.
Ghreeb Experience (formerly ’Bouchouicha Travel Services’), one of the TIF grantees was featured in USAID Visit Tunisia domestic and international marketing campaign dedicated to promoting Southern SMEs in February 2024. Photo ©ACCESS Agency/USAID.
Funding 9 Businesses to Develop, Enhance, or Expand their Tourism Offerings for Visitors
1. Helping Fontaines Bénies company develop a community-based project of an eco-farm ‘Green Village’ in the heart of Ain Drahem mountains
Fontaines Bénies is a women's cooperative in Babouche, an underserved village in Northwestern Tunisia, focusing on various agricultural and artisanal activities like plant processing, cheese making, and eco-tourism. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will assist Fontaines Bénies in developing "Green Village" — a new ecological farm including accommodation, educational workshops, and more, located in the heart of Ain Drahem mountains. USAID funds will help the business to purchase the necessary equipment to create a showroom for product exhibitions and sales, an ecological restaurant, sustainable lighting with solar energy, mountain bikes for outdoor activities, and develop their brand through graphic design.
2. Supporting Sylvagri company expand the tourism offerings and booking capacity of their guesthouse ‘Dar Dhiafa’ located in Nefza
Dar Dhiafa is a 6-room guesthouse with a few tents for hiking lovers, and a restaurant serving fresh homemade products located in Nefza in Southern Tunisia. The business expansion idea of Dar Dhiafa consists of developing outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and camping, alongside the establishment of a play area for children, and to complement the offerings for visitors, culinary workshops. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will be used to enhance the guesthouse facilities, the cheese production, honey workshop and to acquire electric bikes, camping items, and solar panels to generate electricity as an ecological alternative.
3. Aiming to increase Ghilane Travel Services’ number of visitors in Kebili
Ghilane Travel Services is a well-established travel agency in Douz, Southern Tunisia seeking to expand due to increased demand. The business ambition is to enhance the camping facilities and promote local artisanal work. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will support in subsidizing working capital and procuring equipment, such as solar energy panels and tents, which will lead to an expected increase in capacity from 30 to 180 tourists per week.
4. Helping Nsija create a new diverse experiential workshop to foster cultural and economic exchange for visitors traveling along El Jem-Mahdia route
Nsija, established in 2019, aims to promote the hand-weaving of premium natural fibers in Mahdia/El Jem region, fostering cultural and economic exchange. Positioned as an affordable brand, Nsija specializes in cotton and natural fiber products like scarves. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will finance the company's required working capital requirements and equipment to create a new workshop with diverse offerings on the main road between El Jem and Mahdia.
5. Extending the outdoor offerings of EcoRand to larger groups and families to explore more the amazing hidden gems of Sidi Mechreg in Bizerte
Established in 2018 in Sidi Mechreg, EcoRand is an eco-tourism center offering outdoor activities located between Cap Negro and Cap Serrat, a renowned area for ecological and adventure development. EcoRand also promotes the culinary heritage of the region through the preparation of traditional dishes based on fresh fish products and organic vegetables. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will enable the business to refurbish the area including chalets, kitchen, and camping facilities, as well as procure a small boat for visitor transport to embark more visitors and expand activities to larger groups and families.
6. Developing a Roman-inspired cooking show and restaurant to leverage the El Jem potential in attracting new visitors
Dar El Jem is a coffee shop and mosaic workshop near the El Jem amphitheater. Its ambition is to innovate by creating a cooking show experience for El Jem visitors inspired from and based on Roman culinary heritage – this initiative is a first of its kind in Tunisia leveraging El Jem's historical heritage to enhance tourism offerings. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will subsidize working capital needs and procure equipment for the Roman-style restaurant.
7. Supporting the development of a community-based tourism experience and creating synergies for diverse offerings in Hezoua
Bouchouicha Travel Services is well established travel agency since 2019 in Hezoua in Tozeur and specializes in organizing Saharan and Oasan tourism experiences. With USAID Visit Tunisia’s assistance, the company created ‘Ghreeb experience’, a cluster-based project connecting artisans with tourists in a Bedouin campsite and craft village set up in partnership with a women-led and operated handicrafts association ‘Hazwa Heritage Association’, a hostel, and a date farm. The grant will be used to procure weaving materials, conduct training for women in textile, hospitality and cooking, as well as use palm products for the camping space to valorize palm waste. Additionally, the grant will support the rehabilitation of a tourist route and procurement of tents for Bedouin-style camping, and a more modern equipment for the hostel.
8. Helping expand Sea Mountain Bikes’ operations in and beyond Jendouba
Sea Mountain Bike, founded in 2022, aims to establish a rental structure for electric mountain bikes, addressing the lack of supply in the sector and increasing demand. The project aligns with ecotourism principles, offering sustainable tourism with minimal carbon footprint and reaching inaccessible regions. It will catalyze additional ventures like catering and organized tours, operating year-round, and creating various events and activities. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will assist the business in expanding its operations through the acquisition of electric bikes and equipment.
9. Expanding Bahia Cosmetics’ offerings through the development of an ecological farm and workshops in Kairouan
Bahia Cosmetics, an extension of El Bochra company, is seeking to meet the rising demand for participatory eco-tourism in the Zaghdoud – Oueslatia in Kairouan region. The project aims to establish an ecological farm promoting local products, offer distillation and extraction experiences for visitors, and launch a production line of prickly pear oil for the international market. Additionally, Bahia Cosmestics plans to create three workshops focusing on medicinal plants, prickly pear enhancement, and an open local product preparation. The USAID Visit Tunisia grant will support the expansion of Bahia Organic Farm's activities, including the establishment of workshops and production lines, enhancing eco-tourism opportunities in the region.
A key objective for USAID Visit Tunisia is to increase employability and expand opportunities for women. Through its diverse programs, USAID Visit Tunisia has empowered women from diverse backgrounds and regions to grow their business and achieve sustainable livelihoods. 2 of the businesses funded through the Tourism Innovation Fund are owned by women (out of 9).
Ensuring Environmental Compliance, and Supporting the Eco-tourism Sector
To ensure environmental compliance, USAID Visit Tunisia signed Environmental Determination Forms (EDFs) with all 9 grantees. Additionally, a small number of grantees under the Tourism Innovation Fund are supported with solar panels to help with sustainable power generation. USAID Visit Tunisia tries where possible to support businesses in the eco-tourism sector, emphasizing tourism products and experiences that center sustainable solutions.
About the TIF Grant Application Process
The grant fund was an open call (unrestricted eligibility) for registered tourism SMEs across Tunisia. USAID Visit Tunisia received 364 initial applications, of which 224 were deemed eligible. The applications were evaluated using the following merit review criteria: 1) supporting the diversification of the Tunisia tourism product offer; 2) appealing to market needs and demand; 3) demonstrating that the innovation is commercially viable; 4) extending visitor length of stay, especially in non-peak visitation periods; and 5) supporting job creation; and 6) supporting women and youth.
Of the 224 applications, 30 were short-listed in August 2022 based on scoring all applications by a 3–5-person Merit Review Committee composed of USAID Visit Tunisia Partner Engagement Specialists. In May 2023, nine (9) grant applicants were approved. By September 2023, all environmental compliance assessments were finalized, and all grant agreements were executed. All nine grants are currently in the process of implementation with oversight and monitoring by USAID Visit Tunisia.
What’s Next?
USAID Visit Tunisia continues to implement the grant activity with its partners and will collect results upon completion of activities and support. Visit Tunisia will continue to provide more growth opportunities such as featuring some of our ‘market-ready’ partners in marketing campaigns to boost their online visibility and sales.
