28 June 2016
The Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse, which was the scene of the June 26, 2015 terrorist attack, will re-open in 2017 under another name," Kantaoui Bay", said Zohra Driss, owner of this unit located in El Kantaoui tourist resort.

Unlike other hotels in the area which have resumed their activities in relation with the influx of large numbers of Russian tourists, the Imperial Marhaba has remained empty after the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 38 foreign tourists, of whom 30 are Britons.

Driss said the hotel, which has a capacity from 400 to 600 customers, had closed on October 2, 2015. During the two months following the attack, the hotel has hosted a limited number of tourists, especially Algerians.

After the hotel's closure, employees working in the Imperial Marhaba were assigned in other hotel units belonging to the same owner, while 20 employees were kept in their posts to ensure the monitoring and maintenance of the hotel.

Local tourism commissioner, Foued Eloued said 10 hotels in the Sousse Kantaoui region opened their doors this summer among 17 hotels closed following the June 26, 2015 terror attack, noting that 7 more hotels are expected to open after the month of Ramadan.

A ceremony to commemorate this event took place near the hotel on Sunday, in the presence of UK Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Tobias Ellwood.

© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2016