The Libyan Tourism Department held an emergency meeting on the
25th of June 2012, to discuss the current issues facing the department under
the transitional government. Earlier in the week the building of the department
was raided by a group of 40 people, 20 of whom were armed, in an attempt to take
over the building. The armed group presented a letter, allegedly signed by the
deputy defence minister, authorising them to use "force" to evacuate and take
over the building. The employees of the tourism department defended their headquarters
and refused to leave. When the minister arrived later,
he informed the employees
that he had no knowledge of the authorisation. The assailants failed to intimidate
the staff and left shortly afterwards.
The meeting was held to clarify
the incident and discuss a number of important issues facing the tourism department
in current Libya. To this day Libya still does not have a tourism ministry, despite
Libya's massive tourism heritage and in spite of the potential
of tourism becoming Libya's main source of income in the future.
The department
made a number of legitimate demands including:
- Implementing "transparency" requirements by all the managers and heads of departments at the Tourism Department.
- Freezing all the procedures of the managers and the heads of departments at the Tourism Department.
- Initiating an enquiry regarding the spending of "budgets" during the "revolution".
- Investigating the department's officials for "squandering the general wealth".
- Investigating all the previous contracts struck in the past.
