Patrimoine 3000 - Project to Support the Development of Tunisia’s Cultural Heritage

In 2016, the Tunisian authorities adopted the “2016-2020” Development Plan whose main objectives are to launch major institutional and economic reforms and boost investments. The modernisation and diversification of tourism, a pillar of the Tunisian economy, is a priority focus of this plan.

In this context, heritage development is a major engine of economic and social development and also promotes the cultural offer for both Tunisian and foreign tourists.

The Programme to Support the Diversification of Tourism, the Development of Handicrafts and the Promotion of Cultural Heritage – Tounes Wijhetouna (“Tunisia: Our Destination”) provides a response to the need for reforms expressed by the Tunisian authorities.

It aims to help diversify Tunisia’s tourism offer by creating synergies between the tourism, crafts, regional products and cultural heritage sectors. To be effective, these synergies need to be based on a qualitative strengthening of each of these sectors. The programme’s overall objective is to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic development in Tunisia.

The project includes two areas of operation.

Area 1: cultural and tourist concessions for historic buildings

The aim of this initiative is to foster a new dynamic between public and private stakeholders in order to promote the restoration of historic buildings and their conversion into economically viable spaces with a strong social and cultural impact (hotels, restaurants, museums, creative industries, etc.).

Thanks to a partnership between Patrimoine 3000, the General Public-Private Partnership Authority, the Ministry of State Property and Land Affairs, and the National Heritage Institute, various tools have been developed to support the reform of the concession framework. Several pilot projects, in Tunis and the regions, are receiving technical support for their implementation.

Area 2: Redevelopment of the Byrsa Acropolis and renovation of Carthage National Museum

This component aims to renovate Carthage National Museum - one of the main Tunisian cultural institutions - and its surroundings while taking into account the various scientific and technical stakes of operating in an archaeological site, in the heart of the Great Tunis.

Through this project, the National Museum of Carthage aims to become a new cultural space combining its traditional missions of conservation, enhancement of the Carthaginian heritage and new functions of conviviality and services.

The project expected outcomes are as follows:

• Carthage National Museum is reopened to the public and offers enhanced surroudings, innovative visitor trails and strenghtened services.
• A set of operational tools for concessions in historic buildings is produced and institutionalised.
• Public buildings of historical interest are concessioned and rehabilitated and help to make cultural tourism more dynamic.

In a cross-cutting manner, this project focuses on creating dynamics between stakeholders that contribute to heritage development, paying special attention to the institutional arrangements, regulatory frameworks and economic models in order to ensure that the support provided is sustainable.

For the project implementation, Expertise France is supported by a project team based in Tunis combining  technical, logistics, administrative and financial expertise.