Pauline Sammut walked along the beach in Sousse, Tunisia, just an hour before a gunmen opened fire and killed 38 people at the same spot on Friday.

Speaking from her hotel yesterday, she recounted how her blood ran cold when, soon after returning from her stroll, a distraught British tourist in the hotel lobby recounted how her friends had just been shot on the beach at the popular resort.

“We didn’t immediately realise what had happened. Then we heard her say her friends had been shot at and that she was terrified our hotel would be next to be attacked,” Ms Sammut added.

Tunisians, Britons, Germans, Belgians, French and at least one Irish citizen were among the dead in Friday’s attack, while another 36 were injured. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Security officials said the attacker – Seifeddine Rezgui, a student not previously known to the authorities – had posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol.

I was shocked. It could have been me

He opened fire on the beach before walking into the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba, continuing to shoot as he walked past the pool before he was killed in an exchange of fire with police.

Ms Sammut, together with Dione Falzon and Ray Borg, are staying at the El Mouradi Club Kantaoui, situated a few minutes away from the Imperial Marhaba hotel.

“We were at reception when we saw the British woman in tears,” Ms Sammut said.

“I was shocked. It could have been me. The victims were completely innocent.”

A flower lies on a beach at the site of a shooting attack in Sousse, Tunisia, yesterday. Photo: Darko Vojinovic/AP

After reassuring family members that all was well, Ms Sammut, Mr Falzon and Mr Borg decided to stay for the rest of their holiday; until the second week of July. “Believe it or not, tourists here are very calm. Security has been upped considerably – police are constantly patrolling the area.”

Yesterday, the group walked to the area and took pictures of bouquets of flowers strewn across deckchairs, in memory of the victims.

The attack comes after the March 18 massacre at the national Bardo museum in Tunis that killed 22 people, again mostly tourists.

However, the attacks are likely to have a ruinous effect on outbound tourism to Tunisia, according to Joe Caruana, director of JAC Travel Bureau. Tunisian tourism suffered a big blow after the 2011 Arab Spring, Mr Caruana said. In 2010, the North African country welcomed close to seven million tourists but this fell to six million following the revolution.

“Business there is stagnant. I had a couple of bookings for July and September but following the attacks they have been cancelled.

“Recently, it seemed to be picking up again. But following this latest attack I think tourism there is finished.”