04 Nov 2015
Zaghouan, Tunisia
Sustainable Tourism

Dar Zaghouan is an alternative tourism experience in Tunisia interested in finding a way for ecotourism to benefit everyone in the community.

Dar Zaghouan is Tunisia’s first eco-bed and breakfast, located a one-hour drive from Tunis. The bed and breakfast is found in the Dorsale Mountains, an area that has been left out of the tourism efforts that have developed and benefited many other parts of Tunisia. Guests to Dar Zaghouan are invited to participate in various activities, from climbing and cave exploring, to horseback riding and trekking in the mountains. At the end of the day, the bed and breakfast has a restaurant on site, so guests do not need to go elsewhere to have a delicious meal. So far, the bed and breakfast’s clientele is mostly Tunisian.

Caring for the local environment:

Preserving the environment is an important part of Dar Zaghouan’s mandate, and each of the bed and breakfast’s activities touch on the preservation and conservation of the surrounding area. Moreover, Dar Zaghouan uses solar energy to run its facilities, and solar water heaters reduce the need for non-renewable energy sources. Traditional, eco-friendly agricultural techniques are also used on the bed and breakfast’s farm — the place where much of the restaurant’s food is grown and harvested. The sustainable agricultural techniques also contribute to the protection of fertile soil.

Dar Zaghouan also invests in the local community. It aims to conserve the area’s cultural heritage by serving dishes indigenous to the region. Residents who have experience preparing traditional dishes are invited to work at the bed and breakfast, in hopes that the regional gastronomy can be properly shared with other Tunisians. Since much of this traditional knowledge is held by women, a byproduct of the traditional cuisine is the empowerment of women living in this rural region.

Tunisia’s first eco-friendly bed and breakfast | The Switchers
Tunisia’s first eco-friendly bed and breakfast | The Switchers

Dar Zaghouan also creates economic value for its employees and the community. The bed and breakfast has created between 15 and 20 direct jobs and more than 60 indirect jobs. In an area where most people work as seasonal employees in the agriculture sector, Dar Zagouan has provided valuable full-time work, contributing to the access of regular wages for men and women in the area.

 

Dar Zaghouan Sustainable Tourism
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