Tourism Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

SUBJECT: Request for Information and Capability Statements for Planning Purposes for USAID Tourism Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), #72016825RFI00001 Pursuant to FAR 52.215-3 - Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes the United States Government represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is conducting this Sources Sought to identify business contractors, including small businesses, who possess the capabilities to provide services as specified in the attached documents and to determine their availability, capability and adequacy. If your firm is a qualified business for the NAICS code 541990, and has performed similar projects, we request the information shown below. An organization that is not considered a business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. Information gathered through this notice may significantly influence USAID's acquisition strategy for this prospective opportunity. Activity Problem Statement and Purpose Problem statement: Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in BiH and a pillar of its economic development. However, its potential contribution to the country's economic growth remains yet to be fully exploited, and its development remains unsustained. To address this development challenge, the Activity will drive inclusive economic growth, strengthen social cohesion by leveraging BiH's distinctive attributes and cultural heritage, and build on the current momentum in the tourism sector to guide BiH toward a more sustainable and resilient future. Activity purpose: The economic benefits of tourism in BiH enhanced. The Activity will stimulate inclusive economic expansion propelled by tourism and foster social cohesion through the strategic utilization of its unique attributes and abundant cultural legacy. It will further fortify the ongoing robust expansion of BiH tourism sector, guiding it towards a more sustainable tourism economy. To achieve its purpose, the Activity will focus on the following four objectives: Objective 1: Adoption and Implementation of Targeted Policy Reforms Supported Objective 2: Authentic Tourism Products and Experiences Developed Objective 3: Destination's Brand Strengthened and Key Tourism Assets Promoted Across Select International Markets Objective 4: Human Capital in Tourism Improved Activity Background/Context BiH is an upper-middle income country, located in the heart of Europe and marked by a rich history, diverse culture, and remarkable natural resources. The country offers a mix of natural beauty, historical sites, and cultural experiences that attract a growing number of international visitors. The tourism sector in BiH has seen steady growth, particularly after the war in the 1990s. In 2019, the tourism sector in BiH had the third-highest growth rate globally. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 severely disrupted the sector and led to an over 85 percent decline in tourism revenues, a dramatic decrease in international and domestic tourist arrivals, widespread job losses, and left survival struggles for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggling to survive. USAID's significant support to the tourism sector has played a vital role in its return to a growth trajectory. Ever since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the sector has been on a path to recovery with gradual return of tourists, popular destinations rebound (e.g., Sarajevo, Mostar, and Medjugorje), reopening of hotels and restaurants, and adoption of health and safety measures, among other things. Despite the negative effects that the pandemic has had, COVID-19 also led to a growing interest in outdoor activities and nature-based tourism and accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in the tourism sector. In 2023, three years after the pandemic started, tourism statistics in BiH reached its new high - 1,755,040 arrivals (7 percent more than in 2019) and 3,690,514 overnight stays (9 percent more than in 2019). Sources Sought Submission Requirements The Government is requesting the following from interested parties: Respondents' company background and prior overseas experience working in tourism sector with a diverse range of tourism sector stakeholders government institutions (e.g., trade chambers), Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), private sector entities, civil society organizations (CSOs), and academia. Please do not include company brochures and general information not relevant or applicable to this particular Activity. I. Respondents must include the following information: Company Name Company Address Company Point of Contact (phone and email address) Company Socioeconomic Status Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) SAM Registration Status II. In addition, please include the following information in your submission: A brief statement of interest indicating the role your organization envisions in this opportunity. Your organization's capacity, knowledge, and experience to perform the aspects of the activity described above. Provide brief description of projects your organization has implemented that had the same or similar focus as the planned activity. The capability statements are not to exceed five (5) pages. III. Finally, the purpose of this Notice is to share a draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) to solicit comments from interested parties. Please ensure comments are concise and explicit and make specific reference to page and section numbers of the enclosed SOO and Annexes. USAID does not seek questions at this time, only comments. USAID will not provide any response to the comments submitted. 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes. (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. (c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: market research. (End of provision) Responses to this Notice are strictly voluntary - it is not mandatory to submit a response to this Notice to participate in any formal RFP process that may take place in the future. Similarly, responding to this Notice will not give any added weight to an organization responding to a future solicitation or funding opportunity. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitations posted as a result of this sources sought notice. Interested parties wishing to respond to this notice must submit their response via email, in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat formats. Please email responses to: Amila Hodzic at ahodzic@usaid.gov no later than December 30, 2024, 3:00 PM Sarajevo, BiH time. Please reference the subject title - Contractor's Name, Response to Sources Sought No. 72016825RFI00001." Thank you for your interest in partnering with USAID to deliver development technical assistance.