December 10, 2021 – Beirut: The Trade and Investment Facilitation (TIF) project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), held a workshop today to discuss the implementation of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) throughout Lebanon as a way to improve the business and investment enabling environment for Tourism and Hospitality. The workshop was held in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Walid Nassar, and USAID’s Mission Director for Lebanon, Mary Eileen Devitt, and Tourism and Hospitality industry stakeholders.
Entitled “Destination Management Organization Implementation in Lebanon – Legal Status, Standards, Lebanese Initiatives,” the workshop served as a platform to discuss experiences and lessons learned from DMO implementation in Lebanon, including standards and legal models. DMOs, which are entities that manage all aspects of a tourist destination, will help revive the sector and put Lebanon back on the tourism map. The workshop also emphasized the need for policy reforms to support the growth and profitability of the industry. In this respect, the TIF project is also partnering with regional actors to facilitate the implementation of DMOs across Lebanon. It continues to bring together key stakeholders to identify priority policy reforms and to establish private-public sector partnerships to support these reforms in order to grow the sector.
In his opening statement, Minister Nassar highlighted how the Ministry of Tourism is keen to support initiatives and partnerships aimed at developing and expanding the sector. “The ministry is in the process of establishing a DMO system and defining a regulatory framework and mechanism. The objective of DMO creation is to implement decentralization, and thus support local community empowerment, the creation of jobs, local tourist guides and promote national awareness,” Nassar said. “We are keen to harness the power of public-private partnerships, and we appreciate the collaboration, support and efforts that are working in line with the ministry and USAID’s vision. The TIF workshop today sets a roadmap for how we can collaborate to re-organize and better manage a sustainable tourism sector.”
USAID’s Mission Director for Lebanon, Mary Eileen Devitt, reiterated the importance of public-private partnerships. She concluded: “The partnership between the public and the private sector is essential to implement reforms, and thus, support the sustainability and growth of the sector…We are confident that our joint initiatives will help the tourism and hospitality sector to recover and to be able to draw Lebanese and foreign tourists while contributing to Lebanon’s growth and economic prosperity”
About the USAID-funded TIF project:
USAID’s TIF project is designed to enhance economic opportunities in Lebanon by facilitating trade and investment in targeted business sectors, resulting in job creation and increased incomes for Lebanese citizens, with a strong emphasis on exports and enhancing women’s workforce participation.
TIF works towards increasing the exports of Lebanese goods and services, facilitating investment opportunities, and improving the business and investment enabling environment (BIEE) in Lebanon.