Tourism Sector SMEs Needs Analysis and Support Packages Program
USAID Business Growth Activity
Jan 2024 -Apr 2024
Objective: To analyze the impact of the Gaza crisis on tourism SMEs, assess critical sector requirements for business continuity, resilience, and rapid recovery, identify growth opportunities to enhance competitiveness and sustainability, and design targeted support programs tailored to the needs of key subsectors.
Key Activities
Mapped key tourism stakeholders and their roles in SME development, ensuring alignment with USAID BGA objectives and avoiding duplication of existing initiatives.
Conducted key informant interviews with tourism stakeholders, including associations and government entities, to assess industry challenges, market trends, and opportunities.
Designed and launched an industry-wide survey targeting hotels, camps, restaurants, tour operators, and service providers to identify SME needs, constraints, and growth potential.
Analyzed the impact of the Gaza conflict on tourism SMEs, integrating findings into market assessments and proposed interventions.
Facilitated focus group discussions with tourism actors to validate survey findings and gain deeper insights into sector-specific needs and barriers and to
1. Identified skill gaps and training needs within SMEs and proposed tailored capacity-building programs for workforce development.
2. Evaluated financial and investment barriers affecting SME growth and provided recommendations for access to funding and business development resources.
3. Assessed market entry strategies for SMEs looking to expand their reach, participate in international travel exhibitions, and integrate into global tourism network
Developed targeted support packages for tourism SMEs, including strategies for digital transformation, service excellence, sustainability certification, and business resilience.
Created an action matrix summarizing key development areas and proposed interventions to enhance SME competitiveness and sustainability.
Drafted a final report outlining methodology, findings, recommendations, and conclusions to support USAID BGA’s tourism SME strategy.