Kerkennah — At dawn, the line stretches in front of the port of Sfax. Cars are stacked bumper to bumper, impatient families, merchants laden with goods, and curious tourists wait their turn to board.
The ferry, the only gateway to the Kerkennah archipelago, slowly swallows passengers and vehicles, often well beyond its official capacity.
Onboard, the hour-and-a-quarter journey already feels like a trip out of time: sea breeze, cries of seagulls, and overlapping conversations provide a foretaste of a stay where slowness reigns.
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In summer, most passengers are not islanders but visitors from across the country.
Drawn by the archipelago's reputation, they endure the wait and the heat to experience a different pace of life.
In Kerkennah, vacationers seek neither flashy luxury nor bustling crowds, but the calm of an island out of time, where the sea still dictates the rhythm of the days.
Although the archipelago attracts thousands of visitors every summer in search of tranquility, its tourism sector remains far from reflecting its true wealth.
On Wednesday, local stakeholders met with a team from the TAP news agency to discuss the challenges facing tourism in Kerkennah, agreeing that the island has suffered from underdevelopment for over 70 years despite its exceptional natural, cultural, and intangible heritage.
Mahmoud Chelghaf, member of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP), said "Kerkennah, which relies primarily on fishing and tourism, has not seen significant progress since the 1960s."
Chelghaf lamented the state of infrastructure and the weakness of maritime and land transport.
"The rehabilitation of infrastructure, the strengthening of maritime, land, and air transport and, above all, protection of the environment against marine erosion are today essential conditions for tourism development," he said.
He also emphasised that the announcement by the Minister of Tourism during his recent visit to Sfax and Kerkennah, declaring 2026 the "Year of Kerkennah," is "a positive sign," provided, he added, "that solid foundations are laid to make it a reality."
Hoteliers, on the front lines, paint an equally stark picture.
For Jamel Ben Saïda, hotelier and secretary-general of the Hotels Federation, "since independence, no major project has been carried out for Kerkennah," despite its unique potential.
He added that several hotels have closed, while others survive only thanks to the presence of a local oil company.
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The numbers confirm this reality: the accommodation capacity has dropped from 1,051 beds in 1980 to just 465 today.
Despite its challenges, Kerkennah retains undeniable appeal: the archipelago remains Tunisia's third most popular tourist destination, proof that its charm and authenticity continue to captivate visitors seeking tranquility and unspoiled landscapes.
