3rd Tourism Conference: Sector’s shortcomings, constraints pointed out

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APS : Monday, 21 January 2019
ALGIERS-National and foreign experts in the tourism sector on Monday pointed out the shortcomings and constraints hindering the development of the tourism sector in Algeria and recommended,
at the same time, possible solutions to address them.
Speaking in a plenary session of the 3rd National Tourism Conference, Expert Aziz Nafa recommended the promotion of Algeria as a destination through “target identification,” further financial resources and a more appropriate human capital.
Researcher at the Centre for Applied Economic Research for Development (CREAD), the speaker assessed the Tourism Development Master Plan (SDAT) and focused on spatial planning under the tourism expansion areas (ZET) created so far.
Nafa also called for the implementation of the Tourism Observation and Assessment System and the Tourism Investment Bank (TIB), both provided for under the SDAT, he recalled.
As regards training, Nafa welcomed the increase in the number of tourism facilities but nevertheless considered that such training must be “in line with domestic economic needs.”
The speaker summarized the constraints hindering the development of the tourism sector in Algeria in two major aspects: the inadequacy and quality of accommodation as well as the “inaccessible pricing” decided by various tour operators (accommodation and transport in particular).
“It is time for our travel agencies to work on reception,” he also deplored.
In the same vein, the Canadian tourism expert, François Bedard, stressed the need to set up “an Algeria Brand” in order to promote and enhance the Algeria destination.
He also recommended focusing efforts on the two concepts of “Governance and Sustainability” while allotting a “substantial budget” to marketing and promotion.
The expert also recommended “encouraging entrepreneurship and investment” in the various activities related to the sector, such as accommodation, transport, and other areas, under small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which create direct and indirect jobs.
For the representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Remy Poliwa, any tourism development requires the creation of “added value” from the bottom up and the encouragement of young tourism project holders.

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