Major British tour operators Thomson and Thomas Cook have declared that it is once again business as usual in Tunisia. Both have confirmed that they will be resuming services and Thomas Cook has already flown tourists into Monastir Airport. Thomson said it intends to start bringing customers in as of 13 March.

The decision to return to Tunisia comes as the political and social unrest in neighbouring Libya is forcing thousands of refugees to arrive at the border. There are growing numbers of people trying to find somewhere to bed down at the side of the road, but all seems to be back to normal on the sandy beaches and the golf courses.

There are already fears that as thousands attempt to flee Libya via Tunisia the situation could rapidly descend into a humanitarian crisis. Aid workers are currently trying to find adequate supplies of water and food for the thousands of evacuees arriving at the border everyday.

A spokesman for Thomas Cook confirmed that travellers returning to Tunisia are reporting that it was a lot better and a lot calmer since the regime was toppled. She added that the people all seemed to be far more relaxed.

She went on to say that the flights which had arrived recently had all been packed proving that even in the wake of the upheaval, Tunisia was still a favourite. Anissa Ramoundi, from the Tunisian National Tourism Office, said the upcoming elections made everyone feel more positive about the future adding that the tourist centres were never the targets of the protests anyway.