Tunis — Covering a surface of some 20 hectares, the new "Gammarth Bay" project will soon feature an integrated tourist station similar to that of Port El Kantaoui, near Sousse.

A team of Tunisian and French engineers, landscape and town planners is currently engaged in building the project which is expected to be completed by 2012.

The project (see scaled down model) which is sponsored by a major Tunisian tourism group TTS, aims at increasing hotel capacity north of the capital, as well as providing more berths for boat owners who will have the choice between the Sidi Bou Said marina and Gammarth Bay .

With a capacity of some 500 berths, the new marina whose work began in 2007, will have a circular shape and will be flanked by state of the art villas and flats designed in the traditional Moorish /Arab style characteristic of the village of Sidi Bou Said. These residential units which will cover some 85,000 square meters will also comprise commercial areas, as well as covered parking spaces.

Set up within the dense vegetation of the Gammarth forest and overlooking the sea, the project is expected to boost tourism in the capital, as well as offering a quality product for potential investors.