One reason for grabbing onto tourists and pushing things into their hands is that a lot of the ones during high season got drunk already on the flight and then

One reason for grabbing onto tourists and pushing things into their hands is that a lot of the ones during high season got drunk already on the flight and then spend the rest of their visit at some point between hungover and intoxicated. They're both profitable and require intervention to bring their attention to whatever trinkets or they'll just amble along without spending any money. It was many years ago so it might have changed but my experience in Tunisia (as well as Egypt and other places around the Mediterranean) was that if you look and move like you belong in the area most merchants won't bother trying to push you around. I bought some of my favourite clothes in Tunisia and Egypt by asking tourist merchants about theirs and insisting that I want something like that and not the stuff in the souvenir market, many were willing to ask someone at a neighbouring stall to keep an eye on theirs and lead me to a 'real' shop in an area where locals trade with each other. That's where the good cafés are, and that's the place to meet honest people who might be willing to act like taxi and guide for a day or two, or even invite you to meet their family and share food with them.