LONDON – International tour operators were evacuating vacationers from Tunisia on Friday as the civil unrest which has gripped the country showed signs of hurting its critical tourism industry.
U.K.-based Thomas Cook said it was asking its 1,800 customers in Tunisia to leave the country, while some 200 Dutch tourists were repatriated Thursday night via a chartered flight. U.S. and European governments have issued a series of travel alerts warning their citizens away from nonessential travel to the strife-hit North African nation.
Thomas Cook Group PLC emphasized that its move was precautionary, saying it had not had any problems yet.
There was no across-the-board evacuation.
Some tour groups — like U.K.-based Thomson, owned by TUI Travel PLC — said they were canceling flights to Tunisia but leaving it up to tourists to decide whether to stay or leave.
Tunisia has been rocked by unrest sparked by anger at unemployment and at a leadership many see as controlling and corrupt, and at least 23 people have died.
On Friday thousands of angry demonstrators marched through Tunisia's capital to demand the resignation of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
The authoritarian leader, who came to power in a bloodless coup in 1987, has prevented potential successors from emerging, sent many opponents to jail or into exile, and clamped down on the media and social networking sites.
Continued instability has the potential to damage Tunisia's tourism industry, a pillar of its economy. Millions of tourists flock to the country's Mediterranean beaches, which are particularly prized by Europeans hoping to escape cold and soggy winters.
