Two Bulgarian visitors stood in the ancient El Jem amphitheatre, one of Tunisia's top attractions, alone apart from swallows flitting under stone arches — a sight foretelling another tourist season wrecked by Covid-19.

The 3rd century structure, so symbolic of Tunisia that it features on the 20-dinar note, usually receives about 190,000 visitors a year, but in 2020 only 45,000 came, and so far this year it has been deserted most of the time.

"There are no tourists and the beach is empty. It is very sad," said Tatiana Vasileva, one of the two Bulgarians. She had arrived in Tunisia two days earlier and joined a tour to El Jem arranged by her hotel.

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