According to the Vice Chairman of Sol Meliá, Sebastián Escarrer, �the agreement is a further step towards achieving our development objectives in the most important tourism destinations in the Mediterranean, and particularly in Tunisia�, adding that, �Sol Meliá was the first Spanish hotel company to establish operations in Tunisia at the end of 1996, and since then we have continued to grow, now reaching a total of 10 hotels�.

He also explains that, �our gradual expansion in Tunisia, together with the close relations that we have with Spanish tour operators to develop charter business from Spain to the airports of Monastir and Djerba, have made a significant contribution to the growth of Spanish tourism in Tunisia�.

The Meliá Africa, located in the heart of the Tunisian capital and only 15 minutes from the airport, is the first city hotel for Sol Meliá in the country. Although the hotel is currently open, it is also undergoing a thorough renovation. Once the work is completed in September this year, the Meliá Africa will raise its capacity from 164 to 220 rooms.

The Meliá Palmarina, located in the tourism resort of Port El Kantaoui, will open its doors in May this year, following an extensive renovation programme which includes the addition of 144 rooms bringing the total number of rooms to 394 rooms. The hotel enjoys a magnificent location, overlooking the sea and very near the Kantaoui golf course.

After the incorporation of the Meliá Africa and Meliá Palmarina, Sol Meliá now has a total of 10 hotels and 3,575 rooms in Tunisia, located in Tunis (Meliá Africa), Djerba (Meliá Djerba Menzel), Mahdia (Meliá El Mouradi Mahdia), Port El Kantaoui (Meliá El Mouradi Palace, Meliá Palmarina, Sol Club Kantaoui, Sol Club Selima and Sol Mouradi), Hammamet (Meliá El Mouradi Hammamet) and Monastir (Sol Élite Palm Garden).
Sol Meliá, the largest resort hotel company in the world, currently operates more than 260 hotels in 28 countries.