Samir Ncir is at the helm of one of the jewels of luxury hotels in Tunisia, the Hasdrubal Thalassa in Yasmine Hammamet. He struggles, against all odds, to keep a top-of-the-range hotel afloat in these gloomy times when everything tends to the trivialization of services, the degradation of products and easy opportunism. In this hotel-museum, the cultural credo is in the DNA of the owners and runs through the veins of the employees. He talks to us in this interview about his secret weapon as a manager and talks about his concerns for the development of the tourism sector in the country. Let’s hear it.
How was the Covid episode for the luxury hotel industry?
For the two 2021/2022 seasons, luxury or top-of-the-range tourism, unlike mass tourism, was able to do well despite all the difficulties. It is true that all hotel units have been affected by border closures, confinement and travel restrictions. However, for the top-of-the-range segment accustomed to shooting with timid occupancy rates which oscillate between 30 and 60% in the year, for the good seasons we shoot at 40%. As a result, resilience was possible at the high prices practiced as always and which compensate for the shortfall on the Rev share. These prices, considered high, made it possible to maintain a higher level of product quality; but when we compare the prices charged by other hotels of the same category in other countries, our prices do not represent a barrier for customers who seek high-end hotels at affordable prices for much more purchasing power. higher than that in our country. Given that paying 150 to 200 euros per night for a 70 square meter suite with quality services is not expensive, especially for tourists from the Gulf countries. A hotel like the Hsdrubal in Dubai or Monaco, there is no comparison at the price level. But to come back to the effects of the pandemic on the sector, we are among the few hotels to have resisted. We did not close our units, we tried to optimize our budget balances as well as possible and we kept our employees who represent our human capital, thanks to the vision of Mohamed Laâmouri and Raouf Laâmouri who insisted on not sacrifice staff. In 2022, we began to gradually return to the usual operating rhythm after two difficult years. It was the recovery in 2022 and for 2023 the forecasts are good apart from the month of Ramadan which is still characterized by a small drop in activity but from May.
Do you bet on culture as a selling point or to increase the prestige of the chain?
For us, culture is an added value. Because when there is a marriage between culture and tourism, it is a plus for the destination and a distinguished offer for customers. Moreover, professionals are wondering still why don’t we have a single ministerial department that combines tourism, heritage and culture. In fact, when these three components come together, a new synergy is created and new products take shape and attract new customers looking for memorable and striking experiences.
Does the hotel attract international stars and stars?
It is no coincidence that our channel during the Francophonie Summit featured thirteen Heads of State and five Prime Ministers, in addition to heads of delegation. The Hasdrubal is one of the jewels of Tunisian tourism which has always attracted stars, movie stars and singers.
Moreover, since May 2022 we have been welcoming the stars and guest stars of a major production which will be broadcast in the month of Ramadan on Arab channels, namely the soap opera “Mouaya Ibn Abi Sofiène”, by Egyptians from Syrians and stars from the Gulf countries such as Ahmed Badir, Aymen Zayden or Wael charaf stayed during the filming of the series at Hasdrubal. This is a good thing for the hotel and for the destination. Moreover, Assem Turki, producer and director, opted for our hotel after extensive scouting because the establishment offers a cultural setting conducive to the expectations of these great stars.
That said, we counted among the stars Isabelle Adjani, Maria Carey, Antonio Banderas, etc. It is a source of pride for us and for the country for that matter. They were tremendously surprised by the collection of plastic arts available to the hotel and by the refinement it gives them. It is thanks to the vision of our founder Mohamed-Laâmouri and his son Raouf Laâmouri that the Mohamed Laâmouri Foundation for Culture and the Arts was launched, which has been organizing for years symposiums, concerts and colloquia with a director artistic, Mr. Ridha Laâmouri, a musical director, Mr. Laurent Jost, and a partnership with the French Institute of Tunis and the collaboration of the Conservatory of Music and Dance Paris. We also organize in this context artistic residences and publish books by Tunisian and foreign authors.
The 2023 finance law sparked a great controversy and provoked the indignation of tourism professionals. What do you think ?
It is clear that this law is not favorable to a sector devastated and ravaged by a decade of political instability, terrorist attacks and two seasons strongly impacted by the pandemic. There are too many tax charges, soaring prices and a rising interest rate that does not take into account the high debt ratio what the industry is experiencing. I think it hurts a sector that is at the crossroads of all the increases, the progressive veve of compensation and even heavier tax burdens. We know that the question of the profitability of hotels depends on tax policies which negatively impact a sector with frail shoulders, especially since professionals have not been associated with the choices set by this law which will scare away foreign investors and further weaken investors. premises.
Is that why you called for the creation of a High Council for Tourism?
Absolutely. I think that the Head of State is the first person concerned by the development of tourism. In Turkey, Erdogan, who understood the importance of tourism, developed the infrastructure, the air fleet, the beautification of cities, etc. Only the President can give impetus to the sector, ensure stability at the country level and mobilize investors and professionals around a short, medium and long-term action program to make it a locomotive of development. Look at what is happening in Saudi Arabia, there is a clear political will to complete the 2030 vision which tends to make tourism an activity with high added value.
It is heartbreaking to note that tourism professionals in Tunisia are excluded from political decision-making. In my opinion, we must involve professionals and even our experts abroad to pave the way for a revival of the sector and for an improvement in its ratios. For this purpose, I think that a very refined tourism which attracts five million profitable and high-end tourists is better than a mass tourism which generates some ten million tourists with a very modest purchasing power.
Do you think that the tourist resort of Hammamet Sud has structural failures?
Sure. Many shortcomings are to be noted. Several hotels have failed and are closed, causing great harm to this resort. It is a hotel cemetery. Just at the entrance to the station, the Neptune Hotel, which is falling into ruin and has been closed for years, eloquently illustrates the state of desolation of the area. The lack of lighting, poorly maintained roads and all-out anarchy deprive the resort of its charm and scare away visitors. Since its creation in 1990, there has been no maintenance. Can we compare it with Sharm Echeikh? Beach bars have no harmony, you need a charter for these anarchic constructions. How do they get permissions? This is put down to the social aspect when it must be framed by the laws to rebomb the torso at a station which nevertheless has many advantages.
Did you feel a supply problem with the shortage of staple foods?
There are supply difficulties for milk, sugar and oil like everywhere in the country. We try to stock fruits, vegetables and other foods to satisfy high-end demand. However, we are faced with problems that affect the quality of service of luxury hotels. The use of plastic water bottles to compensate for the absence of glass water bottles compromises our quality standards. The plastic does not meet the prestige standards of our hotels and we cringe every time we learn that the water stress that the country is experiencing could prolong the disruption of distribution circuits, for example.
Are you optimistic for 2023?
This country has all the assets for success. Despite the lack of resources, we succeeded in the sixties to make Tunisia a highly sought-after destination from scratch. All that is needed is political will, popular support and greater professional involvement to make this beautiful country a dream destination. The rest will follow.