The Challenge of Renewing Djerba as a Destination in the Age of Sustainable Development and Digital Technology

Over time, tourism has changed its relationship with the island of Djerba. At the start of its development, tourism to this island in south-east Tunisia was more territorial than the mass beach tourism of today, which is concentrated in the eastern coastal area of the island. This has had consequences for the destination itself, which has shown little resilience in the face of crises (Hellal, 2021), and has been responsible for the permanent closure of several hotels in Djerba, which are signs of the end of the tourism cycle (Butler, 1980). So, after the upheaval of the island's economic system under the crushing weight of tourism, the latter is now tending to renew itself in order to survive. This is reflected in the attempt to upgrade the existing tourism product by diversifying it and renewing the image of the island, which is overflowing with heritage assets. With a view to developing tourism in Djerba on a regional basis, local stakeholders are being encouraged to develop events and to promote the island's cultural assets as a way of enhancing its appeal. In the age of digital technology and m-tourism, mobile applications are helping to develop a form of tourism that is more local and more sustainable. By way of problem, we ask here: how can Djerba's tourism system, which is reputed to be a mass tourism destination, meet the challenge of renewing its image in the age of sustainable development and digital technology? To answer this question, we use direct observations and interviews in the field, supported by official statistics on the development of tourism in Djerba and webgraphic research, which are compared with theory and literature. Keywords: Djerba, tourism, image, renewal, sustainable and digital development