César Saint Ouen, director of the Croisière Jaune incoming agency

How long has Croisière Jaune been around? What does it do?

César Saint Ouen - The company was created on 7 November 2001, so Croisière Jaune is celebrating its fifth anniversary. But I'd like to make it clear that all the Croisière Jaune teams and creators had been operating under the name Couleurs Locales since 1993. Croisière Jaune is a receptive service for professionals, specialising in event-based travel, seminars, incentives and, more generally, tailor-made holidays for groups in Tunisia. In just a few years, Croisière Jaune has become the leader in event tourism in Tunisia for French, Belgian and Swiss agencies.

Does Croisière Jaune have any specialities?

C. S. O. - What makes Croisière Jaune so special is that it listens to professionals, is creative and has a perfect knowledge of the terrain, with offices in Tunis, Sousse, Tozeur and Djerba. We have developed exclusive products such as the "Out of Africa" lodges, introductory products in astronomy and fun products, with the company Equipenscène, on music, painting, etc. All these products enable us to respond to all kinds of business problems. Croisière Jaune owns the Accor hotels in Tunisia and all its outside products.

How much of this is incentive business?

C. S. O. - 100 % of our groups take part in tailor-made business tourism trips.

How many groups did you handle last year? In particular to the South? For what type of company?

C. S. O. - Last year we handled 110 groups, including 65 in the South. These groups, from all sectors of activity, ranged in size from 20 to 1,200 people.

What is the maximum size of a group invited to the South?

C. S. O. - There is no maximum. We have already treated a group of 3,000 people back to back.

What specific activities do you offer your customers?

C. S. O. - We are currently developing solidarity tourism, which combines "useful travel" with a new corporate image.

Why does a customer who has selected the southern Maghreb choose Tunisia?

C. S. O. - It's simple! Tunisia offers direct air links four times a week, a 2? hour flight. Just 30 minutes from the airport, you can discover the sand dunes to the east, the Chott el-Djerid to the west, the mountain oases to the north, and five minutes from the airport, oases with 300,000 palm trees... What's more, its climate - which is very different from the European climate - and its air fares mean that it can rival the South of France for the same cost.