AEC 2010 - Information for Participants

Geographical Location

Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the South-East, and the Mediterranean Sea to the North and East. Its area is almost 165,000 km². Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the North-East.

The South of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and 1,300 km of coastline.

Population and Langage

Tunisia is the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million.  Arabic is the official language of Tunisia, but most Tunisians are bilingual, with French being taught at school from an early age. In touristic areas most staff speaks English, Spanish and German. Traffic signs are written in both Arabic and French.

Time Zone

Tunisia is one hour ahead of GMT.

Climate

The winter from October to April is mild in Tunisia with occasional rainfall. The nights can be quite cold. Please bring along appropriate attire.

Electricity Supply

Electric power supply is 230V at 50Hz. The plugs used are identical to those used in France.

Currency

As of 2 August 2010: 1 Euro=1.910 Tunisian Dinar and 1 US Dollar = 1.461 TND.

Please note however:

• There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency you may bring into the Tunisia. However, if you are going to spend 1000 Dinars or more when you leave, the law requires that you declare the amount of foreign currency you are carrying to customs authorities.
• Upon departure of Tunisia after a short non-resident stay, one pay re-exchange up to one third of the amount of Dinars (up to maximum of 100 TND) initially purchased; however, receipts are required. Although the amount of foreign currency brought into Tunisia is unlimited, the law required declaration of customs authorities.
• Keep all the receipts for the currency exchange operations you make during your stay, as customs authorities may ask for them at the airport.

MasterCard and Visa Cards are accepted at major vendors and ATM machines.

Hotel Accommodation:

Sponsored participants will be accommodated in the Ramada Plaza hotel Gammarth (located about fifteen minutes from the airport). The contact details of the hotel are as follow: Phone +216 71 911 100; Fax: +216 71 911 485; Website: www.ramadaplaza-tunis.com

Airline Reservations

Participants should, on their own, contact their airline and secure their return/onward air passage upon their arrival.

Computing and Telecommunication Services

Tunisia has an advanced telecommunication system. All countries can be called directly by dialing the international code “00” or “+” before the country code but charges differ. SIM cards are available at the airport for as low as 3US$.  For those who prefer to use their own SIM cards, roaming agreements are in place with several countries. The major telecommunications companies include Tunisie Telecom, Tunisiana and Orange.

The Ramada hotel has free WiFi access to the internet using one’s personal WiFi-enabled laptop. The hotel also has a business Center which can provide printing services.

Immigration and Health Requirements

Those participants that require a visa for entering Tunisia are kindly invited to contact the organizers, so that an invitation letter addressed to their airline can be issues in order to facilitate their trip to Tunis. Participants must carry this letter of invitation with them in order to clear Tunisian Customs.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for participants from infection-areas.

Shopping

Shopping hours are generally from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. A number of supermarkets stay open up to late in the evening during week days and from 9:00 am to late Saturdays and Sundays. Souvenir shops can be found in most towns. For high-end shopping, head to La Soukra and Berges du Lac where you can find international brands.

Please find below some touristic attractions:

• Medina: A town’s walled old quarter with shady and narrow streets that is full of interesting sights.
• Kasbah: An Ancient citadel with high walls and small windows. Some of the most beautiful Kasbahs can be seen in Tunis.
• Souk: As well as being markets and bazaars, souks offer a tempting variety of places to go for a glass of mint tea, watch the hustle and bustle going on around you.
• Carthage:  An ancient city in Tunisia lies on the eastern side of Lake Tunis. It has rich history which states that it was of great strategic importance for the Phoenicians, Punics and Romans. The wonders of these civilizations can be well seen on visiting the Roman amphitheater, the Baths, cisterns, cathedrals, museums and many more. The unique planned architecture of the city speaks about the prosperity of Carthage. Carthage was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

For further information, please visit: http://wikitravel.org/en/Tunisia 

Table of approved service providers for accommodation

For further information, please contact:  aec@afdb.org; Tel: +216 71102360

Entry formalities