Tourism Forum Calls For Stronger Digital Tools, Resilience For Smes Across Mediterranean

Amman, Sept. 8 (Petra) -- The Tourism Innovation and Resilience Forum on Tuesday recommended further developing the digital "ReTour" platform to reflect feedback from the tourism sector and meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while strengthening national and regional cooperation to build a more resilient and innovative tourism sector.

Held in Amman under the patronage of Sharifa Nofa bint Nasser, the forum was organized by Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) and Specto for Computer Leadership as part of the "Enhancing the Resilience of Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (ReTour)" project, funded by the European Union through the Interreg NEXT MED cross-border cooperation program for the Mediterranean.

The forum brought together decision-makers, experts, tourism-sector representatives, SMEs, universities, innovation institutions and project partners from Mediterranean countries to discuss ways to help the tourism sector anticipate risks, adapt to crises and benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation.

Participants recommended incorporating tourism-sector feedback into the final version of the ReTour platform, identifying priorities for the project's next phase and ensuring that its digital tools and services effectively respond to SME needs. They also called for stronger cooperation among tourism stakeholders at the national and regional levels to translate research and innovation into practical solutions that support economic growth and strengthen SMEs' ability to adapt and compete.

The opening session featured remarks by ReTour Project Coordinator at JUST Mostafa Ali, Specto founder Ahmad Abu-El-Haija, Interreg NEXT MED Eastern Mediterranean Branch Office Coordinator Esmat Kardsheh, JUST Vice President Ahmad Al-Ajlouni, speaking on behalf of JUST President Khaled Al-Salem, EU Ambassador to Jordan Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, and the forum's patron.

Abu-El-Haija highlighted the importance of cooperation between academia and the private sector in transforming knowledge into economic and social value, drawing on his company's more than two decades of experience in developing digital skills in Jordan and the region.

The forum examined recent developments in AI, digital innovation and early-warning systems for businesses. Morten Møller, Secretary-General of the European Early Warning Network in Denmark, discussed the role of early-warning mechanisms in identifying signs of business distress before they develop into crises.

Sami Abu-El-Haija, founder and CEO of an AI company in San Francisco, addressed the role of technology in developing smart tourism ecosystems.

The forum also featured a demonstration of the AI-powered ReTour platform, which is being developed to provide tourism SMEs with digital tools and solutions designed to strengthen their resilience and competitiveness.

A validation workshop adopted a participatory approach through four roundtables examining platform usability, AI capabilities, SME needs, data sharing, governance and sustainability.

A dialogue session titled "Building a More Resilient and Innovative Tourism Ecosystem," moderated by Suleiman Al-Farajat of the University of Jordan, brought together representatives of the Jordan Tourism Board, Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative, Amman Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Hotels Association, Sector Skills Council and Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents.

The forum concluded that tourism resilience extends beyond recovering from crises to include the ability to anticipate change, prepare for risks, adapt to emerging challenges and use innovation and technology to sustain growth.

//Petra// NQ

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