It will be the second UNWTO unit in the world

Marrakech albergará la primera oficina regional para África de la Organización Mundial del Turismo

photo_camera PHOTO/REUTERS - Jamaa Lafna Square in Marrakech, Morocco

The 24th session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) supported Morocco's proposal, through the city of Marrakech, to host the first UNWTO office for the African continent, as confirmed by the Moroccan delegation participating in the event through the official news agency MAP.

Marrakech will thus host the first regional office for Africa of the World Tourism Organisation. This UNWTO infrastructure will be the second in the world, first in Africa, after receiving the approval of the UNWTO General Assembly despite strong competition from four other African countries. An Assembly held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, with the presence of more than 500 government representatives and different important tour operators, in which Morocco was elected member of the UNWTO Executive Council for the period 2021-2025. 

This decision by the international organisation dedicated to the world of tourism is a great support for the tourism sector and the economy of the Alawi kingdom, which continues to take firm steps forward to emerge from the crisis in which the world has been plunged after the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Jemma el-Fnaa, Marruecos

The North African country continues to do well and has already shown signs of great progress in various economic sectors such as the automotive and textile industries, among others, which are placing the Moroccan economy among those that are responding best to the difficult global situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morocco's tourism will be boosted thanks to the opening of this UNWTO office in Marrakech and will serve as a reference not only in Africa, but also in the world, which is a great attraction for the Kingdom. The Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy of the Alaouite Kingdom, Fatima-Zahra Ammor, was the main Moroccan representative at the UNWTO General Assembly and highlighted the great effort made at this important event to consolidate her country as a major reference in the tourism sector worldwide. 

In her speech at the official opening of the General Assembly, Fatima-Zahra Ammor highlighted the great importance of this event as a platform for dialogue on different strategies to be followed. She also wished to highlight the great efforts of the Moroccan government, under the directives of King Mohammed VI, to work on the recovery of the tourism sector and society in general in the face of the difficult situation caused by the health crisis caused by the coronavirus. 

Marrakech, Marruecos

The objective of this new UNWTO office in Marrakech will be to promote tourism investment and innovation based on a South-South cooperation model in the spirit of the Royal Vision for Joint African Action, as reported by the MAP agency. 

The choice of the city of Marrakech as the first regional office for Africa confirms the Kingdom's continental leadership in tourism development. In addition, Morocco's participation in the UNWTO General Assembly was also highlighted by the nomination of the village of Sidi Kaouki (province of Essaouira) as "Best Tourist Village 2021". The coastal village of Sidi Kaouki was selected from more than 170 applications from 75 countries, as reported by Le 360. 

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