However, in that decisive decade Tunisia’s manifold attractions came to be accepted and valued by the European travel trade. Not only were the original four tourist areas well provided with the necessary infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity, but two more destinations were developed at Bizerte - on the northern coast - and at Tozeur in the Saharan desert.

Bizerte added a touch of Mediterranean, almost Alpine, freshness to the proven sun-and-sand formula of the other three seaside resorts, while Tozeur provided an excellent winter destination where European tourists could combine Christmas holiday suntans with the attractions of traditional desert Berber culture.

Those decisions have certainly paid off, and as evidence of Tozeur’s popularity, for example, SNAV – the association that groups French travel agents – is holding its 2009 annual general meeting there in October with some 500 delegates expected to attend.

In the ‘80s, meanwhile, the sleepy coastal town of Tabarka, 175 kilometres north-west of Tunis and no more than 30 kilometres from the Algerian border, was identified as a potential tourism resort, ripe for development.

Like Bizerte Tabarka is located on Tunisia’s north coast, wedged between the sea and the Kroumirie Mountains that are cloaked in silver birch, cork oaks and pines.

Although it may be a new spot on the tourism map, Tabarka has been around since the fifth century BCE when the Phoenicians established a trading post here and built a causeway to the tiny island that stands 300 metres offshore. The Romans then occupied the town and used its harbour to ferry timber, marble from nearby Chemtou and agricultural produce to Italy.

Fast-forward to 1540 when the corsair Dragut – of Great Siege of Malta fame – was captured by the Genoese and later exchanged for 3,500 gold ducats and the island off Tabarka. The island was handed to the Lomellini family of Genoa who built a mighty fortress.

The fortress, still known today as the Genoese Fort, protected the town’s chief assets – coral and cork oaks.

In 1741 the French offered to buy the fort and town from the Genoese, prompting the Bey of Tunis to send troops and annex the area. By 1881, however, Tabarka became an important French military base and was the scene of heavy fighting in 1942 and ’43.

The fort is still a military installation and is closed to the public. Otherwise, the rest of Tabarka is very much open for business.

What strikes you first is that the town looks very European, with red tiled pitched roofs and a profusion of roundabouts sporting oversized musical instruments, instead of statues of long-dead monarchs and warriors.

The attraction of Tabarka is not the town itself however, although quaint it may be, but what the area around it offers in the way of sandy beaches, diving, golf, wellness spas and as a base from which to visit archaeological sites and the nearby mountains.

The sea off Tabarka offers superb underwater scenery; caves, tunnels, reefs plus a good variety of fish including octopus and large groupers. And today, there are four dive centres in the area.

When the government decided to develop Tabarka as a destination, it designated a parcel of land, a rather large one at that, on the east side of town as a tourist zone. This has been developed into a series of top-notch hotels dripping with facilities.

Accommodation in Tabarka itself is limited to a three star, Les Mimosas, a couple of two star properties, Les Aiguilles and Novelty hotels, the one star Hotel de France and two B&B joints. The tourist zone, meanwhile, boasts a number of upscale properties, but the five star Hotel Dar Ismail is the only one programmed by a Malta-based tour operator. In fact, only one Maltese operator features Tabarka in its brochures at the moment.

Spread over five hectares, the 330-room Dar Ismail is an ideal hotel for a family holiday. Designed combining Arab and Andalusian styles and opened in 2002, Dar Ismail has two restaurants plus a seasonal, poolside eatery and three bars.

A 700 metre sandy beach with water sports and the biggest hotel swimming pool this writer has ever seen provide the staples for a summer stay. Snooker tables, archery, table tennis, a gym, indoor pool, and a wellness centre are also available on the premises.

A kid’s club with entertainment, a playground and a children’s pool keep the little one’s occupied.

In the evenings there is a variety of entertainment on offer, mostly with a Tunisian flavour.

The hotel can also cater for conferences of up to 500 delegates, seated theatre-style, and has three break-out rooms with a capacity of up to 30 each.

Whilst the Dar Ismail gives the impression of being family oriented, the five star Iberostar Tabarka Beach, just up the road, is more adult focused – although children are certainly welcome.

With 252 sleekly-decorated rooms, a two-storey presidential suite and villas kitted out with all the amenities one would expect from a five star property, the Iberostar has its own beach, 18 hole golf course, casino and an enormous thalassotherapy centre.

Although there are another half a dozen or so hotels located in Tabarka’s tourist zone, and all have, more or less, a similar range of facilities, the area is still remote enough to have that away-from-it-all feeling. In fact, the airport – called 7 November 1987 - is some 15 kilometres east of the town and is serviced by daily SevenAir flights from Tunis.

SevenAir, meantime, operates two flights a week from Malta to Tunis using a 90-seat, jet-powered, Bombardier CRJ900 or a smaller turbo-prop ATR72. (It also flies to Monastir, further down the east coast, from Malta.)

Alternatively, one can travel from Tunis by taxi or louage, the long-haul shared cabs. The latter are a cheaper and a lot more interesting way of reaching Tabarka, or any other town.

Excursions from Tabarka, meanwhile, are available to Bulla Regia. This was an important Roman site, remarkable for its theatre and its subterranean houses – to protect them from the sun and heat. Much of Bulla Regia has still to be excavated, but a small museum and what is open to the public make it a worthwhile place to visit.

Chemtou, west of Bulla Regia, was famous for its marble quarries and has interesting buildings worth visiting – the forum, basilica, theatre and amphitheatre.

However, much more impressive and further south is Dougga, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally a Numidian town, it later became a regional centre under the Romans. The town covers an area of three square kilometres and is noteworthy for its capitol and theatre, which is still in use. In many ways, Dougga reminds one of Pompeii, but on a much smaller scale. And, like Pompeii, much is still to be excavated.

Between these archaeological sites and Tabarka stands Tunisia’s biggest forest of, mostly, cork and zen oaks. And situated right on the edge is the smallish town of Ain Draham, which has become the centre for boar hunting. (The Dar Ismail hotel group has a three star property here, the Dar Ismail Nour Elain.)

Whilst Tabarka is still very laid back and hasn’t yet fully realized it’s on the tourism map, another relative newcomer on the Gulf of Hammamet is its antithesis – Yasmine Hammamet.

Hammamet has long been a well-liked resort, one of the earliest to be developed in Tunisia. Its medina with narrow, winding streets, souq, 16th Century fort plus its sandy beaches, hotels, clubs and bars has ensured its popularity.

Because of its ever-growing demand by the travel trade, the government came up with the idea of building another resort a few kilometres south of Hammamet; this joint venture was called Yasmine Hammamet – Hammamet’s jasmine.

“…Yasmine Hammamet looks like an entire town has risen out of the ground, with its wide avenues and hotels that compete in magnificence, with many entertainment venues and even a majestic but completely reconstructed medina”, reads the brochure.

“Everything here”, the brochure continues, “has been planned on a grand scale. Along the esplanade at the sea front, 1,500 metres long, cafes and beach clubs line up as far as the eye can see…

“At the heart of the resort, the international standard marina, surrounded by dazzling white hotels and residences, provides…room for more than 700 boats.

“This newest Tunisian resort is certainly different from its predecessors. Modern, luxurious and airy, it is equally suitable both for highly successful and enjoyable holidays and for business or prestige trips”.

Indeed, unlike the much earlier and certainly more picturesque Port el Kantaoui, Yasmine Hammamet is essentially a soulless conglomeration of hotels – admittedly, some are pretty amazing - along wide avenues. Its only redeeming factor is the medina.

The official Yasmine Hammamet brochure describes it best: “It may seem a somewhat madcap undertaking to recreate, at the heart of an ultra-modern resort, an idealised old city where traditional residences with all the comforts are found alongside souqs and craftsmen’s studios. Yet this is what has been created with Medina Mediterranea Park. Hidden behind the light stone ramparts, it seems to have appeared from another epoch; access is through monumental gates, inspired by real historical monuments in Tunisia and elsewhere. Inside, just like an authentic old city, you can walk through lively markets, along little paved streets interspersed with vaults and arches and past the houses embellished with earthenware, fountains and carved screens.

“Many activities bring to life this old city that is brand new…A cabaret-restaurant whisks you into an atmosphere worthy of the One Thousand and One Nights; a cinema-presentation enables you to relive the greatest moments of Tunisia, from Carthage to the present day.

“And to put the finishing touches…Medina Mediterranea is complemented by a grand theme park, Carthage Land. From pirates to Carthaginian explorers via Hannibal and his elephants, Tunisian history serves as a pretext for a whole variety of attractions, games and rides”.

Yasmine Hammamet also sports a skating rink, three golf courses, a casino and innumerable thalassotherapy centres – all in hotels.

And the 32 hotels come in all shapes and flavours; one can choose to stay at an all all-inclusive property, such as the four star El Mouradi Hammamet or at the quirkiest of them all, the four star, Spanish-managed Vincci Lella Baya Thalasso.

One would be forgiven for thinking that the Lella Baya is a theme park, with a lobby made to look like a Tunisian village square and its outlets replicating traditional scenes – town squares, shops and the cave dwellings of Matmata. Its 247 rooms, however, are large, well furnished and comfortable.

At the other end of the scale is the Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa, a five star, 211-room property with the world’s biggest presidential suite, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Although Yasmine Hammamet is a new resort, because of its size and the facilities available, it is now a major player as a Mediterranean destination – not only for holidaymakers, but also for golfers and also for yachtsmen.

Since the inception of its tourism industry, Tunisia has been able to put its history and geography to good use to provide a variety for the discerning (and not so discerning) traveller.

For traditionalists, a location such as Tabarka is perfect. The pace is slower and more leisurely and is rewarding for those who like a laid back holiday. For the more energetic who believe that a day’s vacation lasts 24 hours, then Yasmine Hammamet, with its four kilometres of beaches and pulsating nightlife is the destination of choice. And both destinations have much to offer at any time of year.

Thirty plus years on, and there is definetly a lot more to write about regarding Tunisia’s tourism industry. It is no longer simply a sun-and-sand destination, but one that also offers a cosmopolitan way of life with all the boulevard attractions of a thriving city: Tunis. Other bonuses are archaeology (Punic and Roman remains), Islamic architecture (Kairouan), troglodyte caves (Matmata) and festivals incorporating both traditional and modern arts.

For more information on Tunisia, contact: SevenAir, 48/1 Amery Street, Sliema. Tel 21320399 Email sevenair@maltanet.net.