MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2016 lifestyle FEATURES Women harvest grapes at the Neferis vineyard in the wine-producing region of Grombalia, some 40 kilometers southeast of the capital Tunis, on September 16, 2016. — AP Tunisia looks to branch out into wine tourism lthough Tunisia’s tourism industry seems to growing industry experienced something of a Neferis winery. Spread over 450 hectares (about be going through an unending chill, revival in the 1990s. 1,100 acres), Neferis produces 1.2 million bottles AMohamed Ben Sheikh is convinced there are At the time, the government promised to reclaim every year and Kobrosly says they compare good days ahead thanks to the nation’s vineyards. public land and bring in foreign investment in a step among the world’s best. He cites as examples Standing on a hillside on his land, he says, “Our which saw the emergence of seven companies for Italy’s typically rich red wine Amarone and classi- country is rich in local produce.” agricultural development. Twenty years on and the fied French wines such as Saint-Emilion and Among these assets, the ancient culture of wine- bet seems to have paid off. Tunisian wine, which Pomerol, both from the Bordeaux region. making is undergoing something of a revival in this relies on old grape varieties such as Carignan, is Kobrosly says the 32 million bottles emerging overwhelmingly Muslim-majority country which has branching out into newer varieties such as from Tunisian wineries-and almost all of it con- a reputation of being one of the most liberal in the Chardonnay, Viognier or Verdejo. To date, it counts sumed domestically-”has a very great chance of Arab world. For decades, Tunisia has relied heavily seven AOCs. being exported” and sold in overseas markets. on tourism but almost exclusively targeting beach- For that, “we need investment in new tech- goers and sun worshippers. But the instability that nologies, and cooling the wine at controlled tem- ‘No image’ followed its 2011 Arab Spring uprising has sparked a peratures during fermentation,” says Rached But despite the optimism the figures remain major crisis, forcing the north African country to Kobrosly, who is in charge of quality control at the modest. Although the sector earns approximately rethink its strategy. 80 million euros ($87 million) annually and con- And one of the possibilities is attracting wine tributes 25 million Euros to state coffers in taxes, enthusiasts. “Wine is a premium product which revenues from wine exports do not exceed 10 mil- relates to both land and history. It is a way of pro- lion Euros. moting Tunisia,” says Ben Sheikh, president of the This is partly due to the limited scale of vine- chamber of alcoholic drinks producers. yards-only 15,000 hectares on a national level-and a At the Neferis vineyard in Grombalia, perched on near total absence of any marketing strategy. “The hills overlooking the Mediterranean some 40 kilo- problem with Tunisian wine is not one of a bad meters (25 miles) southeast of Tunis, Ben Sheikh is image but the fact there’s no image!” says Kobrosly. trying to develop a wine route as an “alternative” “To reinforce its touristy appeal, events have to form of tourism which he is hoping to be able to be launched around grape harvests and wine cel- offer tour operators next year. lars,” says Tahar Ayachi, a journalist specializing in Besides wine-making Tunisia is home to many heritage and tourism. “There was a time when one archaeological sites, he adds. “We should create cul- celebrated harvests and where one pressed grapes tural tourism.” in village squares,” Ayachi adds. D’Khili, who has for years headed the “Vignerons ‘Rome’s wine cellar’ de Carthage” wine cooperative, says there is “long- Tunisia is no newcomer to vineyards. It has been term work” ahead. But with “the revolution in quality producing wine for at least 2,800 years, Ben Sheikh in the last 20 years, we have the tools to succeed.” says. “Carthage was the granary of Rome but it was D’Khili, who is trying to promote Shadrapa, a pictur- also its wine cellar. It had a great agronomist, esque domaine nestled on the banks of the Magon, who was the first to write treaties on wine- Medjerda river about 70 kilometers west of Tunis, growing,” he explains. says the site could become a huge tourist draw. The idea is develop a tour stretching from the “We are close to Dougga, one of the most beau- capital Tunis to the nearby Cap Bon peninsula, mix- tiful archaeological sites and we are working in tan- ing archaeology with visits to local vineyards. And it dem with some of the bed and breakfast places in is the wine aspect which is most likely to surprise. the area,” he says. “Viticulture is the sector of the Following a post-independence decline partly due future.” — AFP to Europeans buying their own produce, according to industry veteran Belgacem D’Khili, Tunisia’s wine- New Zealand economy milks clamour for Middle Earth eter Jackson’s “Lord Of The Rings” and “Hobbit” series have tourist industry, which Prime Minister John Key said was now A survey showed 18 percent of international tourists last they have committed NZ$150 million to a movie museum and proved to be as precious to New Zealand’s economy as any helping underpin the national economy. “Exceptional growth in year cited “The Hobbit” as the reason they considered a trip to conference centre, due to open in 2019. Pmagical ring as millions flock to the country for a glimpse of the sector has generated around 6,600 new tourism jobs in the New Zealand. Even Air New Zealand has got in on the act, The museum-a joint venture involving local council, Jackson Middle Earth, making tourism the main driver of growth. year to March 2016, and the industry now accounts for 20.7 per- employing Jackson to film a special Lord Of The Rings-themed and his movie industry associates-will house the director’s exten- For years, coffers have been supplemented mainly by boom- cent of export earnings,” Key said this month. safety video in 2012. sive movie memorabilia collection. “It’s a dream product to take to ing sales of dairy products from milk to infant formula. But the Official data shows international tourists pumped NZ$14.5 bil- Almost 30 percent visited a Hobbit-related attraction during market, it will be a world-class facility and the team at Weta have a sector is now struggling as oversupply and waning demand from lion into the economy last year and visitor numbers, currently 3.4 their stay, including Wellington’s Weta effects workshop or touring proven track record,” Alexander said. key market China has seen the clamour for “white gold” dry up, million, were set to double over the next seven years. Tourism film locations. TNZ is also using New Zealand-made films to pro- “It’s got the potential to be a game-changer in terms of trig- fuelling fears the country was too reliant on one product. New Zealand (TNZ) chief executive Kevin Bowler said the growth mote tourism, with recent examples including campaigns around gering the decision to include Wellington on your itinerary.” While But with breathtaking shots of sweeping landscapes and had been phenomenal, thanks largely to the way the industry had the children’s movie “Pete’s Dragon” and the upcoming science fic- exhibits at the museum will be updated to reflect new movies majestic mountains, the multiple Oscar-winning blockbusters leveraged the popularity of New Zealand’s film sector. tion feature “Ghost in the Shell”. being made in New Zealand, Alexander said there was every shone the Hollywood spotlight on the country that has seen visi- “Extremely successful Middle Earth campaigns and a deep The capital, which styles itself “Wellywood”, has been among chance tourists’ fascination with Jackson’s Middle Earth epics tor numbers swell since the first film was released in 2001. focus on digital media helped drive significant growth in visitor the chief beneficiaries of the film-related tourist surge kicked off would endure. “After all, people are still doing ‘Sound of Music’ At its peak, New Zealand’s dairy industry shipped about NZ$17 numbers,” he said. by “Lord of the Rings”. Wellington Regional Economic tours in Salzburg 50 years down the track,” he said. — AFP billion ($12.1 billion) of dairy goods a year, accounting for almost a Development Agency spokesman Aaron Alexander said the city third of national exports. Yet while that declined to NZ$12.2 billion Wellywood game changer received global exposure from film premieres attended by stars of in 2015/16, overall economic growth remains a healthy 3.6 per- The bulk of movie fans visiting New Zealand are attracted by the movies and tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. cent, which the government says is the third best in the devel- Jackson’s two Middle Earth trilogies “Rings” and “Hobbit”, which “Middle Earth’s been fantastic for New Zealand and oped world. have been described as marathon advertisements for the coun- Wellington, putting us on the map for a whole new audience in a And one reason for that is the slack has been taken up by the try’s rugged charms. big way,” he said. City officials are so keen on film tourism that This file photo taken on August 11, 2013 shows cows standing patiently as they are milked on a dairy farm near This file photo taken on Febraury 25, 2015 shows New Zealand’s highest mountain Mount Cook- also known by its Maori Cambridge in New Zealand’s Waikato region, known for its fertile land and dairy industry.