Figures from the Tunisian National Tourist Office say there was a 29 percent increase in UK arrivals to the North African country in January to September 2010, compared to the same period last year. Tunisia’s flag carrier airline Tunisair reported a 20 percent increase in passenger numbers so far this year. To keep up with demand, it launched new flights to Djerba, an island off Tunisia's coast, from London Gatwick, according to Skyscanner. Tunisia’s tourist office says a total of 201,076 British holidaymakers travelled to Tunisia in the first nine months of this year, a figure that experts predict to increase further in 2011. The director of the UK & Ireland branch of the Tunisian National Tourist office, Anissa Ramoundi said demand was increasing despite the recent recession. “Tunisia has something for everyone from those looking for high end luxury hotels to families looking for great value all-inclusive resorts to cultural tourists wanting to discover more about the Roman Empire,” she said. The UK, France, Italy and Germany traditionally make up Tunisia's four main tourism markets. The tourism sector represents 6.5% of Tunisia's GDP and provides 340,000 jobs including 85,000 direct jobs, or 11.5% of the working population with a high share of seasonal employment. Source: Africa News