What started as a simple misunderstanding of accents turned into a travel nightmare. While booking a ticket “to Nice” at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, Brittney Dzialo and her friend had no idea their pronunciation would send them… to Tunis, Tunisia.

It all began on Saturday, September 6, at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. After missing their first flight to Nice, France, Brittney and her friend headed to the ticket counter to book a new one.

In English, they asked for a flight “to Nice” but, because of their American accent, the agent apparently heard “Tunis.”. Without realizing it, the two young women boarded a Tunisair flight bound for Tunisia, in North Africa.

It wasn’t until they were seated on the plane that doubt started creeping in. On TikTok, Brittney filmed herself, sharing “the moment we realized we were on the wrong flight and on our way to TUNIS, AFRICA and not NICE, FRANCE.”

“Is this going to Nice?”

The confusion turned to shock when they asked another passenger: “Is this going to Nice?”. The response was blunt and undeniable: “Tunis, yeah… in Tunisia.”

Panic set in. The two immediately opened Google Maps, asking out loud: “Where is Tunis? Where is Tunisia?!”

Their lack of geographical knowledge amused some passengers and annoyed others. Online, the backlash was even harsher: “Africa is not a country!”. Tunisians, in particular, flooded the comments, pointing out the obvious.

An unexpected detour through North Africa

Once they landed at Tunis-Carthage International Airport, Brittney and her friend desperately tried to figure out a way to get back to France. Brittney documented everything on TikTok: the ticket counters, negotiations with airline staff, and even the bewildered expressions of airport employees.

At one point, her friend, exhausted and frustrated, said on camera: “Guys, we somehow made it… I don’t even know how we did this, especially in a country where nobody speaks English. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, this was the worst experience of my life.”.

That comment sparked another wave of outrage online. Thousands of Tunisians quickly reminded them: “In Tunisia, we speak Arabic, French, and English.” Many even sarcastically wished them “good luck learning French in Nice!”.

After several stressful hours, the two travelers finally secured a flight to Nice, their intended destination on the stunning Côte d’Azur. Their misadventure, told over a series of 20 TikTok videos, went viral, gathering more than 20 million views and thousands of comments.

In the final clip, one of them makes a solemn promise: “I’m not sleeping until we’re in Nice.”. She kept her word. And, unintentionally, they gave millions of people around the world a crash course in geography.

They’re not alone…

While Brittney and her friend became accidental TikTok celebrities, they’re far from the only travelers to make this kind of mistake:

• San José or San José?
  In April, two Americans thought they were flying to San José, Costa Rica… only to land in San José, California, over 2,500 miles from their intended destination.
• Bucharest or Budapest?
  In 2023, a couple booked a weekend getaway to Bucharest, Romania, believing they were headed to Budapest, Hungary, a mere 500 miles off.
• Sydney, Canada vs. Sydney, Australia
  In 2017, an American traveler planning a dream trip to Australia accidentally flew to Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Let’s just say the surfing wasn’t quite what he expected.

Tunisia’s Ministry of Communication Technologies has announced that the public tender launched in September 2024 for the creation of the country’s electronic visa issuance platform (e-Visa) has failed to produce a winning bid.

The project, which aims to establish a fully digital platform for issuing electronic visas (e-Visa) in Tunisia, is now facing a setback that could delay its launch.

On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the Ministry of Communication Technologies announced that the call for tenders launched in September 2024 for the design, development, and management of the system had not been successful, officially describing it as “unsuccessful”.

Tunisia has set its sights on developing a national e-Visa platform to simplify entry procedures into the country. The goal is to digitize the largely paper-based visa application process and make it easier for foreign visitors to enter Tunisia, an effort intended to boost the tourism sector, a key pillar of the national economy.

Launched in September 2024, the international call for tenders sought to select a contractor responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining a secure platform. The project specifications also included advanced features such as online payment integration and automated document verification.

Development of the e-Visa in Tunisia: no bids deemed compliant

In an official statement released on August 26, 2025, the Ministry of Communication Technologies confirmed that the tender process did not result in any successful bids.

According to the ministry, none of the eight proposals met the essential technical and administrative requirements outlined in the specifications, and several were rejected due to non-compliance with submission guarantees.

The bidders included both Tunisian and international companies:

• Orell Füssli AG & EWM (Switzerland)
• SITA Advanced Travel Solutions (United Kingdom)
• Mühlbauer (Germany)
• MEDIANET, THINKTANK & MAVIANCE Consortium (Tunisia)
• MEDIADIFFUSION (Tunisia)
• VFS Global Tunisia SARL, VFS Global Services Pvt Ltd, NUMERYX Tunisia, VF Worldwide Holding Limited Consortium (Tunisia)
• Addinn, Aira & ELM Consortium (France)
• EY (Tunisia)

No new date has yet been announced for the launch of a fresh call for tenders.

This development is expected to delay the rollout of the e-Visa platform, which authorities had initially hoped to launch in 2025. For now, travelers required to obtain a visa to enter Tunisia must continue following the traditional application process through the country’s consulates and embassies.

From January 1, 2025, European tourists will no longer be able to travel to Tunisia with their national identity card, and will have to present a passport valid for at least three months to visit the country.

As of January 1, 2025, Tunisia will require all foreigners entering the country to present a passport valid for more than three months.

This new regulation, confirmed by the Tunisian Embassy in France and French diplomacy, marks a significant change in entry procedures for international travelers, particularly for nationals of certain countries who were previously able to use their national identity card (CNI) to enter the country.

Passports for travel to Tunisia: a major change for European tourists

Until now, citizens of European countries have been able to travel to Tunisia without a passport, provided they were traveling as part of an organized tour or through an approved travel agency. This flexibility, which will come to an end on December 31, 2024, facilitated tourist stays and encouraged trade between Tunisia and European Union countries. All travelers had to do was present their CNI along with a document proving their registration for an organized trip (voucher, hotel reservation, return ticket on a scheduled or charter flight, etc.).

With this new measure, travelers will now need to ensure that they have a passport valid for at least three months before planning their stay in Tunisia, whether for tourism, business or family purposes. This change puts an end to an exception that has lasted for several years.

Implications for travelers

This change means that travelers will need to plan ahead.

Those who don’t have a passport, or whose passport has expired, will have to start the administrative formalities, which may take several weeks depending on delays in their country of origin.

For travel agencies and tour operators, this new rule could lead to a temporary drop in bookings, particularly from tourists accustomed to traveling with their single passport. However, they will have to adapt by raising awareness among their customers and helping them to prepare the required documents.

What to do to prepare?

To avoid any disappointment, travelers planning to visit Tunisia after January 1, 2025 are advised to :

• Check the validity of their passport and renew it if necessary.
• Contact Tunisian embassies or consulates if you have any questions about the new entry requirements.
• Allow sufficient time for administrative formalities before departure.

A parallel innovation: the electronic visa

In addition to the passport requirement, Tunisia is preparing to introduce an electronic visa system, or e-Visa, in the near future.

This system will enable travelers to submit their visa applications online, thereby reducing processing times and simplifying administrative procedures. This future system aims to modernize consular services and make access to Tunisian territory faster and more convenient, particularly for tourists and business people. This initiative, which is part of a drive to digitalize procedures, should enhance Tunisia’s attractiveness as a globally competitive destination.

A call for tenders has just been launched by Tunisia for “the implementation of the e-Visa electronic visa platform”.

After several months of work, Tunisia is about to take a major step towards modernizing its visa system with the imminent implementation of an electronic visa platform, dubbed “e-Visa”.

The country has just published an international call for tenders for the design and management of this new digital platform, which aims to simplify entry procedures for foreign travelers.

“The Tunisian State has received funding from the African Development Bank […] to finance the project to support the implementation of the national strategic plan “Tunisie Digitale 2020 – PNS TD2020”, and intends to use part of this loan to make payments under the Market for the Implementation of the Electronic Visa Platform E-Visa,” explains the document.

Candidates have until 11:00 a.m. on October 15, 2024 to submit their bids to the Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy of Tunisia.

This initiative is part of the Tunisian government’s efforts to boost the tourism sector and facilitate international trade.

“Bringing visa-issuing services closer to foreigners wishing to enter Tunisia”

On LinkedIn, the recent former Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji, highlights the various advantages of the upcoming e-Visa system in Tunisia:

“Launch of the call for tenders for the implementation of the E-Visa Tunisia Electronic Visa platform, which will:

• Bring visa-granting services closer to foreigners wishing to enter Tunisia
• Shorten processing times for visa applications for Tunisia
• Relieve consular missions of the onerous administrative tasks involved in collecting and processing paper visa applications
• Promote tourism and investment in line with competitor countries,” explains Nizar Ben Neji.

Nationalities concerned by the electronic visa for Tunisia

The introduction of this electronic visa platform will simplify formalities for nationals of many countries who currently require a visa to travel to Tunisia.

Among the nationalities requiring a visa to enter the country are :

• Nationals of African countries such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, DRC, Sierra Leone, …
• Citizens of several Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India (outside the organized group), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.
• Certain Central American countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, …
• Some Middle Eastern countries (Syria, Yemen, etc.)

However, many countries offer visa exemption for short stays in Tunisia, in particular those of the European Union, Canada, the United States, and several Gulf states.