AIBU to wonder why holidays to Tunisia are so much cheaper?

They are cheaper because fewer people want to go there.
Fewer people want to go there due to the reputation the country has.
Not long ago people were shot on a beach.
There are other places to visit. So people go to the other places instead.

I think it's a real Marmite place
Dh9 members. We really enjoyed it. Travelled a lot saw all the cultural sites but haven't felt need to return.
On mumsnet its pretty maligned people suffered a lot of hassle and harassment and it's our them off.
I think if you're looking for an all-inclusive where you barely leave the hotel other than for the beach you'll be fine
If you don't go to a market or arent blonde, you'll be fine. Use tour guides if you're concerned about safety.

In Agadir, morocco last year one thing i noticed was women running on their own through town at night. Multiply women out separately enjoying their evening run. That was the first thing i noticed when we were in the taxi on the way to the hotel. I thought that a good sign.

As posted upthread, Tunisia surprised me and I left with very fond feelings for the country and people.

For anyone reading who does decide to visit, remember that you cannot leave the country with any local currency. We donated it all to our taxi driver but once inside the terminal I realised that we should have given it to the airport cleaning ladies. I understand people railing against supporting places that are oppressive to women but the best thing you could do would be to give personal support to the women who suffer the brunt of it. We tipped the ladies in our hotel who served us (surreptitiously - you never know what the "handing over tips" policy might be) and next time we'll tip the airport cleaners on our way out.

I went 10ish years ago with my husband. It was a really interesting place and great food. I wouldn't go back on my own or with kids though. I gather its far worse than it used to be for harassment of women, and it was bad back then. Way more issues than India or other African countries I've visited.

Where is the other place? @MinnieCoops

I went a long time ago and, where we were, was a total shit hole. No second chances.
Morocco is cheap too but much nicer.

You seem to be in the minority

Possibly this might be the case sometimes but I don’t think it’s always true. There doesn’t seem to be a correlation between tourists adapting to cultural differences and being guaranteed respectful treatment - many here have stated that they had tried to dress modestly and were with their male partners and even children yet still had difficulty it’s. My sister certainly took this on board. For her and her partner it was also the open hostility they met with - often being spat at or having things said to them.

There really is no excuse for this, in ANY circumstances, whether women are dressed ‘modestly’ or not. It’s completely outrageous that women should feel so vulnerable and threatened under any circs, anywhere.

Growly - this isn’t meant to sound aggressive - it’s a genuine question: can you say why you had such positive experiences? What did you do and not do? I’d be interested to know, because not many pps have had such a pleasant time.

The perfect example of "Why would I go on holiday to somewhere worse than where I live".

It's cheap for a reason...
My experience at a 5 star hotel was def not a five star All inclusive and food was awful if you enjoy a cocktail or drink, the alcohol was disgusting . If you have teenagers or blonde hair, expect to be harassed even in your hotel. If you dare to venture out to the Souk's etc it is a nightmare. I do not think it is a safe country, I have travelled extensively and I would never go back to Tunisia!

It’s horrible there. The men are Entitled mysogynists. They think western white people are there to supply them with money and they try to hassle it out of your wallet into theirs. Gross culture. Plenty of donkeys and dust.

But it’s not just one experience - I think Ive been to Tunisia 15 over the years and have never had an experience that has concerned me. I’ve met British tourists when I’ve been in the larger resorts who have not enjoyed themselves but they’ve tended to be the people who have only gone on trips organised by the travel rep, only eaten in the hotel, and felt it was ok to walk around outside the hotel wearing skimpy clothing, and who weren’t prepared for the difference in culture.

I know the mum of the family killed on the beach. Awful.

@Growlybear83

Your experience sounds great but I think you’re in a lucky minority. Reading the posts here is very depressing and my sister and her partner actually left their holiday after 3 days due to unpleasant experiences. They weren’t the type to be happy in just the hotel and set off with high hopes to explore but it was just horrible and they got shouted at and insulted.

It’s one of only two places I’d never ever go back to. Pay more, it won’t be a holiday. When I was a travel agent 99% of people who went came back to lodge a complaint of some sort.

Is there any other holiday destination where you have to describe what you look like to give 'context' to how safe you are going to feel (Egypt). Post after post has felt it necessary to state what they look like to contextualise if they were harassed or not. These descriptions of harassment aren't a few comments as you walk by. They are being physically gropped and restrictions on leaving hotels or organised tours. How cheap does it have to be to have to experience that shit.

This could have been answered with 30 seconds on Google. Poor, civil unrest, terrorism threats and the chance you could be shot on the beach.
I've travelled as far East and West as you can go, grew up in Africa and lived in 5 different countries.
I would never go to an Arab country...they would have to prise my money out of my cold stiff fingers.

I know people who go either here or Egypt but never leave the all inclusive resort. To me that’s a total waste of time, holidays should be about experiencing another culture and exploring. I guess it has a bad reputation hence the comments here. I don’t fancy it either as a woman, I like to feel safe and like I can walk around alone without fearing assault.

The culture of VAWAG?

I went to Tunisia 20 years ago with family(all adult group). Our hotel was in Port El-Kantaoui. We were there in winter and it was cold but sunny. Loved the trips out to historic sites. Sunrise on the salt flats was one of the best experiences of my life. Hotel was good. Out and about, we had a lot of hassle to buy things, but nothing that felt unsafe. We were always out together as a group of 5 (3 men and two women) whether this may have helped I don’t know—maybe it was just luck that we weren’t spat on etc.
Overall I enjoyed the holiday. Would I go back there now? No.
I get what pp are saying about the risk of terror attacks being just as high on a visit to London. I agree, they probably are. But I would still feel safer there than I would going back to Tunisia, after what happened in Sousse. And to enjoy a holiday I would need to feel safe. Any kind of attack is horrific, wherever it occurs, but if an attack were to happen whilst I was in London, (assuming I wasn’t killed or seriously injured) I have the means to get out of the situation and get home, much easier than I would do if I was abroad. This is why, for me, it is an acceptable risk in London, but not in Tunisia.

We go because we love the country - the people, the food, the sights, the culture, the beaches, the weather, and some excellent hotels. The price doesnt really affect our choice - while flights and hotels are relatively cheap, this is outweighed to an extent by the high cost of car hire.

I think people who buy a package to a resort come away disappointed, but if you’ve been a backpacker in Asia etc you’ll be better equipped to deal with Tunisia.

And we also don’t know how many terrorist attacks have been foiled by the Tunisian authorities.

I first went to Tunisia as a little girl in the 1960s and have been back very regularly since going there for my honeymoon in 1980, and have never felt in the slightest bit ‘despised’ as a tourist. Of course Ive been harassed at times, but this has never been remotely threatening, whether Ive been on my own or with my husband or daughter, but overall, Ive found Tunisians to be among the most welcoming, generous, and friendly people Ive ever met. We’ve had some truly humbling experiences with how we’ve been treated when we’ve been invited into people’s homes, which we’ve never forgotten.

I think it’s such a shame that people really think it’s not safe to leave their hotels. Living in south London, I feel far far safer anywhere Ive visited in Tunisia than I do at home. Our best holidays in Tunisia have been when Weve just booked flights, hired a car, and driven round the country. We’ve travelled quite extensively and have been fortunate to have stayed at some really good hotels over the years, particularly in the far east, but by far the most memorable hotel I’ve ever been to is a little boutique hotel on the outskirts of Zarzis in the south of the country where we were made to feel like royalty in the most picturesque setting. We aren’t able to travel at the moment, but when we can, Tunisia will be the first place we will go back to.

I went over 20 years ago and it was absolutely stunning. A beautiful place with lots of culture and history. However, I went on honeymoon and even with my husband by my side I found the level of harrassment I got from the local men to be far too much and quite intimidating in its relentlessness. It really spoilt the holiday for me and I would not want to go back solely for this reason. I do appreciate that it was a long time ago though and things may have improved