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Morocco has presented new products for its tourism market at the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (FITUR) and a new policy for promoting this sector for the 'Kingdom of Light', which we discovered from Karima Benyaich, Morocco's ambassador to Spain.
What are Morocco's objectives at this year's FITUR? What does Morocco offer tourists who want to visit the neighbouring country?
It is a pleasure for us, as it is every year, to take part in this major world tourism event held here in Madrid. Every year we come with new products and a new policy to promote Moroccan tourism. In Spain it is very important. We are two neighbouring and friendly countries. More and more Spanish tourists are coming to Morocco and more Moroccans are coming to Spain.
We come with a great ambition to attract more tourism because it is a very important sector for us, with 7% of our GDP. We have the advantage of having many different and complementary products. We offer a wide range: sun, beach, desert, mountains, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and we also have the imperial cities circuit. Morocco is the fruit of a crossroads of civilisations and we have been able, over the centuries, to adapt and absorb all the influences we have inherited from these civilisations. We have been able to reflect this in several charming cities, with our beautiful city which is almost 14 kilometres from Spain, Tangier, the pearl of the Mediterranean, but also overlooking the Atlantic; Tetouan, the daughter of Granada; Fez, the spiritual city of Morocco; Marrakech, the ochre city with all its charm, one of the best destinations in the world today; Essaouira with its wind; Dakhla with its desert and Rabat, Morocco's capital of light and culture. Cities for all types of tourism.
We want to promote this destination. We are the gateway to Africa. We are an Arab country, but at the same time we have Europe to the north and also America across the Atlantic. We have great potential that we want to promote at this international meeting.
Football has made Morocco a great protagonist in the last World Cup and has gained international recognition, which helps to attract tourism.
The Moroccan Atlas Lions team has honoured the whole of Morocco and this is the result of the policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI who has always promoted a sport as important as football. We have seen that many players, many of whom were born here in Spain, have come to play for the national team and we have almost reached the end of the World Cup. For us it is a source of pride and it is really the best promotion of Morocco because nowadays everybody knows where this country is.
The tourism sector has also benefited from the policies of His Majesty the King. In addition to all the infrastructural developments we have had in Morocco, we have been able to preserve all the heritage and all the patrimonial capital we have inherited from our ancestors. We have opted for modernity while preserving our traditions, culture and heritage.
