Direct UK flights to Tunisia are available for the first time in three years, as British authorities no longer advise against visiting the destination.

 

UK travellers now have easy access to one more affordable beach getaway. Since 2015, when a terrorist attack in Sousse left 38 dead, British tour operators were banned from flying to Tunisia. Six months ago, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) lifted the ban, only advising against travel to certain areas of the country. Only recently, however, did travel agencies Thomas Cook and TUI announce they were going to reintroduce direct flights to the destination from various UK airports.

 

Thomas Cook Airlines is already offering flights to Hammamet/Enfidha from London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, with prices ranging between £100 and £200 for a round trip.  Passengers will also be able to travel from Glasgow, Newcastle and London Stansted starting in May.

 

TUI services to the same destination will begin in the spring from Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham, starting at £300 for a round trip. These are the only companies currently operating direct flights from the UK to Tunisia, along with Tunisian airline TunisAir, which had been travelling between London and Tunis even while the ban was in place.

 

The Northeastern coastal region of Tunisia is now considered suitable for travel, while venturing inland toward the borders with Algeria and Libya is advised against, partially due to ongoing military conflicts in Libya.

 

The change in FCO guidelines is largely a result of an increase in security. Tunisia First, a UK-based travel agency that sells holidays to the country, welcomed the decision. Managing director Peter Kirk said: “Security has improved considerably because of the involvement of the Foreign Office and of our own military. They went out to Tunisia and assisted them in providing better security.

 

“They now have much better checks for people going in and out of hotels and also all the beaches.”

 

The 2015 terror attack took place on a resort beach, where a mass shooter mainly targeted holidaymakers. The FCO’s current advice warns that terrorist attacks are still “very likely”, encouraging tourists to be vigilant.

 

Tourism in Tunisia is expected to pick up thanks to the new air routes. Muireann Kirby, a spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), said: “The destination is proving popular again with British holidaymakers this year. It’s all at good value.”