Participation of the Directorate in the International Hybrid Colloquium Tizi Ouzou 2025
In the year two thousand and twenty-five, on the fourth and fifth of May (04-05/05/2024), the Directorate of Tourism and Handicrafts of the wilaya of Chlef, represented by its Director, Mr. Rachid Ben Douda, and the executives of the Directorate, participated in the hybrid international forum under the title:
“the challenges of tourism and heritage development in the face of the imperative of digitalization and territorial attractiveness”
Organized by the Research Laboratory in Development, Economics, Finance and Business (DEFI) at the Faculty of Economic, Commercial and Management Sciences – Mouloud Mammeri University, Province of Tizi Ouzou – in coordination with the Directorate of Tourism and Crafts of the Wilaya of Tizi Ouzou.
Forum proceedings:
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Welcoming the participating delegations from different regions of the country.
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Speeches by the conference president and the dean of the Faculty of Economics, Business, and Management, and the opening of the conference by the university dean.
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Welcoming remarks by the Director of Tourism and Traditional Industries of Tizi Ouzou.
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Various presentations were then made, including a presentation by the Directorate of Tourism and Traditional Industries of the State of Chlef, represented by its Director, Mr. Rachid Ben Douda, via PowerPoint, under the title:
“Strengthening tourist attractiveness through virtual tours and smart applications”: the Wilaya of Chlef, a model
- Which aims to explore smart tourism destinations as a modern model that enhances the tourism experience by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), smart applications and artificial intelligence.
- The study highlights the role of these innovations in improving the quality of tourism services, strengthening sustainability, and increasing global competitiveness through intelligent resource management and reducing environmental impact. It also addresses the issue of finding a balance between economic development and the protection of cultural and natural heritage in order to attract more visitors seeking innovative experiences.
- In this context, the Wilaya of Chlef was taken as a model, highlighting the positive impact that the adoption of these technologies will have on its tourist attractiveness through the development of digital services and smart applications. This will help consolidate its position as a promising tourist destination both nationally and internationally.
- The keynote themes were as follows:
First theme: Smart technologies and their role in improving the tourist experience.
Second theme: Digital technology and the sustainability of tourism.
Third theme: Challenges and solutions of digital transformation in tourism.
Fourth theme: Chlef’s journey towards sustainable digital tourism. - The floor was then given to the participants who discussed various aspects related to tourism and its economic and environmental impact.
- The discussion concluded with several recommendations aimed at strengthening the digitalization of the tourism sector as part of its economic diversification and sustainable development strategies through:
- Launching digital platforms such as the Ministry of Tourism’s websites and promotional applications that allow visitors to discover tourist destinations and easily plan their trips.
- Investing in virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) technology to create virtual tourism experiences that allow visitors to explore tourist sites before actually visiting them.
- Encouraging partnerships with smart tourism startups, which contribute to the development of innovative applications that connect tourists to the services available in various destinations.
- Involving all sectors, each in their own field, in creating a tourism environment that contributes to a coastal tourism climate (accommodation facilities, road network, means of transportation, continuous service provision, internet service provision, skilled labor supply, and improving the standard of living of the working class).
- The forum will conclude with a tribute to the participants.