LEBANESE UNIVERSITY

1. LEBANESE UNIVERSITY Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management TRAINING REPORT By AHMAD BILAL AMMAR Department: Travel &Tourism Year: 2013 Semester: 2nd Supervised by Dr. ZeinaMakki Beirut, Lebanon 2012 - 2013

2. Ministry of Tourism Beirut, Hamra Street Tel: 01-340940 Email: www.lebanon –tourism.gov.lb www.mot.gov.lb Duration of the training: Aug 1, 2013 till Aug 31, 2013 Supervision: Dr. Ghada Salem The minister: Fadi Abboud

3. Acknowledgment I would like to acknowledge the Lebanese university faculty of hospitality management and travel and tourism for all its efforts to afford the best conditions for the students by setting up the finest programs and specially the summer training program. Also I would like to appreciate the dean of the faculty of hospitality management and travel and tourism prof. “Fahd Naser’’ for his great vision and decisions. Also I would like to express my sincere thankfulness for Dr. “Amal Al kourdi’ for her performance in managing the department, and Dr. “Zeina Makki‘’ for her control and supervision. I’m thankful to have my training in the ministry of tourism which gave me the chance to experience the field of tourism closely. So I have a desire to thank the director general of the ministry of tourism Mrs. “Nada Sardouk’’ and special acknowledgments for Dr. “Ghada Salem” for teaching and sharing her precious knowledge with me.

4. Abstract This training report discusses how my internship at the ministry of tourism was. It talks about the historical background of the ministry and about the important function of this public organization and the classification of its departments and sections which shows it professional figures. On the one hand, it represents the job list of the department I used to work in especially for the section of FNB and for the section of hotels and tourist residence. On the other hand, the report mentions the duties and tasks that I used to handle during my internship. In this internship’s report you will find my evaluation regarding the work and the organization. Also you will find my opinion concerning the ways to improve the summer’s training program. The report could not be professional report without analysis and comparison that spots the light on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. And that particularly what you will see in this report, in addition to a numbers of beneficial suggestions to conquer threats and assists with opportunities to reach future goals. This report takes into consideration the importance of the quality management and what is the ways to improve and develop it, with opening the space to a little discussion and recommendations.

6. Introduction • The ministry of tourism is the governmental organization that involves in all tourism activities and tourism dimensions without aiming to achieve profits or attains private benefits. It is the governmental organization that has the maximum authority to make decisions belongs to tourism. The ministry of tourism is the most organization involved in setting up the development plan for enhance and improve the tourism In Lebanon, and to overcome crisis by applying the most significant policies. There are many responsibilities and obligations for the ministry of tourism which takes place under many definite laws and regulations. The vital function of the ministry proceeds to give it the full authority to make decisions and drive the tourism sector in the road it sees effective. Thus, from this point of view I would like to spot the light on many different issues related to the ministry and to my summer training program showing the value and the benefits that I acquired after one month

7. Historical background The Lebanon Tourism Service was originally created in the 1930s, within the Ministry of National Economy. Its main role was a monitoring and supervision of the industry. In 1948, the Commissariat Général du Tourisme, de l’Estivage et de l’Hivernage (or CGT) was established to undertake the following tasks: • To inform ministerial departments about tourism sector needs and to assist with decision-making • To promote Lebanon overseas • To monitor private tourism enterprises and professions. Through the 1960s, CGT played a significant role in promoting Lebanese tourism. Major tourism projects were carried out, and Lebanese attractions were promoted especially in the neighboring countries, which were the largest tourist market for Lebanon. In 1959, CGT was transferred and annexed to the Ministry of Information, which became the Ministry of Information, Orientation, and Tourism. However, its role declined with the creation in 1962 of the Conseil National du Tourisme, a private association charged with conducting all tasks related to tourism promotion and investment.

8. The growth of tourism on a global scale led to the creation of the Lebanon Ministry of Tourism in 1966 (law no.21/66, issued on March 29, 1966). The Ministry of Tourism was composed of the Direction Générale des Affaires Touristiques. Decree no.7142, issued on April 20, 1967, defined the specific tasks that fell under the separate responsibility of the National Tourism Council, including overseas promotion and execution of tourism projects. However, this decree was repealed by Decree no.2829, issued on October 10, 1992, which nullified the tasks entrusted to the National Tourism Council and transferred them to the Ministry of Tourism. • The Direction Générale des Antiquités, which was once part of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts, was attached to the Ministry of Tourism when it was established in 1966. In 1992, it was re-annexed to the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education. However, a department charged with developing tourism at archaeological and historical sites was also created within the Ministry of Tourism.

9. Organizational charts Figure 1 This hierarchy shows the classification of departments and the allocation of them inside the ministry of tourism.

10. Figure 2 This figure shows the allocation of sections within the department of ‘’tourism supply’’ inside the ministry of tourism.

11. Job lists • During my training program in the ministry of tourism I used to work in two separate sections which are food and beverage section and hotels section within the tourism equipment department. There is a list of duties I had to be responsible of: • Food and Beverage section is the division that concern about restaurants, snacks, sweet and tea shops, cafés, tea lounges, pubs, amusement centers, bars, night clubs and it gives the investors the license or the certificate to establish such organizations based on specific qualification and conditions. Investors should submit their documents to the registry office at the ministry of tourism, and they should complete a sheet of approval for the first period. The registry office sends the documents to the responsible section.

12. Duties belong to the section of food and beverage: • Check investor’s documents if it is all meet the requirements • look for unacceptable documents • review investment’s procedures • Send inspectors to make inspection • Make standards classification for restaurants, cafés, bars, etc… • Make reports about restaurant’s situation • Give advices and instructions • Assist with BUREAU VERITAS • Study the approval Request for the first period and for the final licensing • Send letters for investors to submit their missing documents • Take serious and significant decisions

13. Hotels and tourist residence section is the division that concern about hotels, furnished apartments, seaside, reception centers, dance halls, etc… • Duties belong to Hotels and tourist residence section: • Check investor’s documents if it is all meet the requirements • look for unacceptable documents • review investment’s procedures • Send inspectors to make inspection • Make standards classification for hotels, furnished apartments, seaside, etc… • Make reports about restaurant’s situation • Give advices and instructions • Assist with BUREAU VERITAS • Study the approval Request for the first period and for the final licensing • Send letters for investors to submit their missing documents • Take serious and significant decisions.

14. Job breakdowns • The training at the ministry of tourism in the section of food and beverage allowed me to develop several personal skills and it builds new special experience to me. During this period I have learned the following: • How to read architecture maps • How to read official documents • How to analyze and examine investor’s documents • How to prepare reports • How to use the laws in the proper way • How to look in the procedure of establishing touristic enterprise • How to evaluate enterprises using classification criteria • How to go in inspection • How to record the daily mail • How to prepare and send letters • How to handle problems • I learned general knowledge • I learned the classifications criteria to all touristic enterprises • I learned ethics, values, and principles

15. In addition to all these activities, I joined my supervisor at the office in building and taking decisions, and day after day, I became dependable and useful and qualified to work alone. This characteristic helps me to improve my skills, and it expends the responsibility and maturity in me. • It is important to know at this point the classification process that takes place when someone wants to establish a tourism company (restaurants, snacks, sweet and tea shops, cafés, tea lounges, pubs, amusement centers, bars, night clubs, hotels, furnished apartments, seaside, reception centers, dance halls).This process happened between three parties which are the company, the ministry of tourism and BUREAU VERITAS.

17. Evaluation of the training • After one month training and hard working at the ministry of tourism, I can say that the training was successful by far. During this period, I learned too much valuable knowledge. I made mistakes but I learned how to avoid falling again in those mistakes, and that is a good point. I used to feel like I’m home and that’s because of the team spirits and the good environment which is vital to accomplish work. My coworkers’ old experience in the field of tourism helps me to create great image about the past, the present, and about the expected future of tourism in Lebanon. In addition, they supported me by the tools I needed to construct my self-experience. On the other hand, my fresh knowledge in the tourism sector and my computer skills was helpful, and unique. The department of tourism equipment in the ministry of tourism especially my coworkers used me several times to propose suggestions about many topics.

18. How the training can be improved? • In my opinion, the way to improve the training could be by: • Emphasize on the student desires and needs • Give the student enough time for the training • Pre preparation for the summer training program • Give the student enough time to work in each department • The university should offer more facilities for the student • Provide the trainee with certificate after all

19. SWOT Analysis The strengths: The ministry of tourism has many strength points which are: • The importance of this governmental organization on the tourism sector and on the economy at the same time gives it high ranking. Thus, it has the power of word on the other organizations. • It has an powerful and unique form like; the admission division system • Its capability and competency to promote and develop the Lebanese tourism sector • Powerful leadership • good planning for the future

20. The weaknesses: The ministry of tourism has many weakness points which are: • The shortage in the professional human resource • The large number of un useful and disqualified employees • The absence of technical resource and technological equipment • No training and orientation sessions for the employees • The dramatic scale of employees not attending their jobs • Diacritics • The slowly movement of transactions and work phases • The routine work • The lack of fresh graduated students who has fresh knowledge and ideas • the weak relations between governmental organization • insufficient funds • No accurate information and statistics

21. The opportunities: The ministry of tourism has several opportunities to enhance its position if it sticks to a multiple requirements and guide line • The opportunity to rise above again and make the tourism sector shining identical to the 90th • The opportunity to promote sustainable tourism • The opportunity to be the organization number one in Lebanon concerning tourism • The opportunity to improve the tourism income The opportunity to recover the economic growth

22. The threats: There are many threats facing the tourism sector in Lebanon and the ministry of tourism at the same time. It characterizes by the following: • The terrorism threats the tourism sector and reduce the tourist arrival numbers, and it also affect the ministry’s workspace • The unbalanced political situation affect the ministry in a dramatic way • The entrances of privet organizations which is trying to take the ministry’s place

23. Suggestions • Suggestions and solutions to resolve the weaknesses and threats • Based on the above threats and weaknesses that the ministry of tourism facing, I would like to recommend a number of suggestions and solutions to resolve the current situation, and to overcome errors and mistakes. • Equipped the ministry with the needed equipment • Make monthly evaluation reports considering the performance of the ministry and the employees status • Conduct periodically orientations and training programs for the employees • Support the ministry with the needed funds • Stop disposing the ministry’s resources • Make best and optimum use of ministry’s resources • Isolate the ministry from inefficient and unrelated political decisions • Improve service’s quality and quantity by applying the most modern technique used in the European ministries • Hire fresh graduated students and recruit them in the positions that needs their knowledge and skills • Fill job vacancies by professionals

24. Suggestions and solutions to benefit from strength and opportunities • Based on the above strengths and opportunities that the ministry of tourism characterized by, I would like to recommend a number of suggestions and advices in order to achieves a better level of stability • Set up plans and strategies to be done by a reliable team • Consider the expected future crises and set up precautions • Create new lows or edit some of it to fits the present’s needs • Use a good management to defeat problems

25. Quality of management and ways to improve it • I agree that the ministry’s management is qualified, skilled and expert. It is responsible of several duties and obligations. It is the management that concerns about quantity and quality at the same time. There are many departments in the ministry of tourism (see figure 1). All these departments are linked to the director general and the minister. On the one hand, the department’s directors have the skills and the knowhow, and they have the ability to recognize how to take primary decisions. On the other hand, the director general who in charge and responsible of all the departments and sections in the organization is wise and intelligent, and I can say that based on the achievements it made. The strongest management appears during the crises, and this management is working hardly to prove itself. I see this management will be in a good grade if it continues in this way, but I recommend improving its work by using the most modern methods and techniques.

26. Discussion & recommendation • Finally, as we discussed before that the ministry of tourism has many important roles and a very unique position in the field of tourism, so it worth to be supported by all what it needs, and it must be protected and promoted to maintain its vital tasks. I recommend the ministry of tourism to stick to the rules; lows and regulations, and afford facilities for those who want to invest in the tourism sector in order to increase the investments and the growth of the Lebanese economy. My personal recommendation for the Lebanese university faculty of hospitality and management and travel and tourism is to advice their students to visit the ministry and get to know it and recognize how much it is beneficial to go in a training program at the ministry of tourism.

27. References http://www.mot.gov.lb http://www.bureauveritas.com Tel: 01-340940/1/2/3/4 ext. 313 Law no.21/66, issued on March 29, 1966 Decree no.7142, issued on April 20, 1967 Decree no.2829, issued on October 10, 1992

28. Abstract This trainingreport discusses how my internship at the ministry of tourism was. It talks about the historical background of the ministry and about the important function of this public organization and the classification of its departments and sections which shows it professional figures. On the one hand, it represents the job list of the department I used to work in especially for the section of FNB and for the section of hotels and tourist residence. On the other hand, the report mentions the duties and tasks that I used to handle during my internship. In this internship’s report you will find my evaluation regarding the work and the organization. Also you will find my opinion concerning the ways to improve the summer’s training program. The report could not be professional report without analysis and comparison that spots the light on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. And that particularly what you will see in this report, in addition to a numbers of beneficial suggestions to conquer threats and assists with opportunities to reach future goals. This report takes into consideration the importance of the quality management and what are the ways to improve and develop it, with opening the space to a little discussion and recommendations.

29. Thank you for your listening