Tripoli aims to develop tourism
Tripoli has strengthened its tourism authorities in the latest effort to turn its tourist industry into one which could rival the oil sector in importance.
The Tourism Ministry, which was abolished as part of a late January cabinet reshuffle, has been replaced by a new body, which is likely to be called the General Tourism Authority.
'The new authority will have more flexibility and can do more without going back to the prime minister,' Aribi Mazoz, under-secretary of the former Tourism Ministry, told MEED on 5 February. Whereas the original ministry extended into different regions, the new authority will be centralised and will house five departments with responsibility for antiques, old towns, investment, parks and handicrafts.
The move comes as part of major plans to develop the local tourism sector. 'It is one of the government's priorities,' Mazoz says. 'We want it to share in our GDP in the future. We want to have it parallel to the oil sector.'
The authority is responsible for formulating a strategy for tourism and is updating a masterplan up to 2030. It has assigned a budget of LD 90 million ($70 million) for tourism infrastructure, but expects to receive LD 50-60 million ($39 million-47 million) once the national budget for 2007 is approved.
Putting infrastructure in place is a priority. With only 12,500 hotel beds available in the country, the authority has already signed contracts worth an estimated LD 4,000 million ($3,107 million) for the construction of 7,500 additional rooms.
www.meed.com/tourism
Tripoli has strengthened its tourism authorities in the latest effort to turn its tourist industry into one which could rival the oil sector in importance.
The Tourism Ministry, which was abolished as part of a late January cabinet reshuffle, has been replaced by a new body, which is likely to be called the General Tourism Authority. 'The new authority will have more flexibility and can do more without going back to the prime minister,' Aribi Mazoz, under-secretary of the former Tourism Ministry, told MEED on 5 February. Whereas the original ministry extended into different regions, the new authority will be centralised and will house five departments with responsibility for antiques, old towns, investment, parks and handicrafts. The move comes as part of major plans to develop the local tourism sector. 'It is one of the government's priorities,' Mazoz says. 'We want it to share in our GDP in the future. We want to have it parallel to the oil sector.' The authority is responsible for formulating a strategy for tourism and is updating a masterplan up to 2030. It has assigned a budget of LD 90 million ($70 million) for tourism infrastructure, but expects to receive LD 50-60 million ($39 million-47 million) once the national budget for 2007 is approved. Putting infrastructure in place is a priority. With only 12,500 hotel beds available in the country, the authority has already signed contracts worth an estimated LD 4,000 million ($3,107 million) for the construction of 7,500 additional rooms. www.meed.com/tourismThis content is only available to full MEED package subscribers (MEED magazine and MEED.com).
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