Morocco's Rabat to Host Africa's First UN Tourism Innovation Hub
Rabat – Morocco's Minister of Tourism, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, has signed a financial agreement regarding the establishment of the first UN Tourism Thematic Office on Innovation for Africa in Rabat.
The minister signed the agreement with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN Tourism, on Thursday on the sidelines of the 123rd session of the UN Tourism Executive Council in Madrid, Spain.
The office seeks to work to support the UN Tourism 2030 Agenda for Africa, to make the sector a driver of development across the continent.
Data from the UNWTO shows that arrivals across Africa recovered 96% of pre-pandemic visitors, noting that North Africa is recording a strong performance at the continental level.
Arrivals in North Africa reached 8% higher between January and July 2023, compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019
Last year, Morocco achieved a milestone by welcoming 17.4 million international tourists, representing a 20% increase compared to 2023.
This means that Morocco was the most- visited country in all of Africa, according to UN Tourism.
'Over the last five years, Morocco has averaged USD 3.5 billion in FDI annually across all sectors,' UN Tourism said, noting that $2.2 billion was allocated to the sector between 2014 and 2023.
The website quoted UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona, stressing Morocco's regional leadership in the tourism sector.
Morocco's tourism sector has become a key economic driver, contributing 7.3% to GDP by 2023.
The tourism office forecasts that Morocco is prepared to continue its growth with a remarkable 35% increase in international arrivals since 2019 and $10.5 billion in tourism revenue. Tags: Africa Tourismatlas mountains tourism
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
11 hours ago
- Morocco World
Kasada Seeks 2026 Hotel Deal in Morocco
Rabat – Hospitality investment platform Kasada is eyeing a hotel deal in Morocco, Bloomberg reported today. The company expects to make its entry into North Africa's tourism industry in the first half of 2026. The same source added that the company has already started to take action, opening of an office in Casablanca to explore opportunities present in Morocco. Kasada's managing partner and co-Chief Executive Officer, Olivier Granet, acknowledged the group's priority is North Africa, especially Morocco, which is now the number one tourism destination on the African continent. 'For us to be the leading platform, we have to become pan African,' Granet told Bloomberg. Morocco has been breaking records on the continent, with millions of arrivals secured in all seasons. Morocco welcomed 17.4 million tourists, with arrivals representing a 20% increase compared to 2023. The data is unprecedented in Morocco and has exceeded the target set by the country for 2026. The number of arrivals also made Morocco the most-visited country in all of Africa. 'Over the five years, Morocco has averaged USD 3.5 billion in FDI annually across all sectors,' UN Tourism said recently, noting that $2.2 billion was allocated to the sector between 2014 and 2023. Reports also stressed how Morocco is outpacing Egypt to become a regional leader in the industry. Bloomberg joined the chorus emphasizing Morocco's tourism appeal, recalling the country's assets, alongside the upcoming international competition it is hosting, like the AFCON in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2030. David Damiba, Kasada's managing partner and co-chief executive officer, echoed Granet's remarks, stressing how Africa presents enormous opportunities. 'We think that there's scope to increase the scale of what we've built already by a factor of two to three times fairly easily in these markets while being concentrated to take advantage of our scale in core cities,' he said. Beyond its interest in Morocco, Kasada is ambitious to grow its business and presence across luxury hospitality in different areas in sub-Saharan Africa, Bloomberg added. Tags: 2019 tourismAfrican tourists
Maroc
4 days ago
- Maroc
UN to Establish 1st Tourism Office on Innovation for Africa in Rabat
A financial agreement for the establishment of the 1st UN Tourism Office on Innovation for Africa in Rabat was signed on Thursday in Madrid, on the sidelines of the 123rd session of the UN Tourism Executive Council. The agreement was initialed by Morocco's Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social Economy Fatim-Zahra Ammor, and Secretary General of UN Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili, attended by the Kingdom's Ambassador to Spain Karima Benyaich. This marks a key step towards the effective operationalization of UN Tourism's first Thematic Office on Innovation for Africa in Rabat. The agreement tackles both parties' commitments, as well as the administrative arrangements granted to the Office, in accordance with article 5 of the Headquarters Agreement inked in January 2025 between the Moroccan Government and UN Tourism. This Office will work towards supporting UN Tourism's 2030 Agenda for Africa, to turn this productive sector into a vector for development on the continent, in line with the Royal Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in favor of joint African action. The Thematic Office is a major step forward for tourism promotion on the continent. Building on Morocco's leadership as an African hub for tourism and innovation, it will strengthen cooperation between African states and UN Tourism, bolstering the socio-economic transformation of African tourist destinations through innovative programs. MAP: 29 mai 2025
Morocco World
5 days ago
- Morocco World
Morocco's Rabat to Host Africa's First UN Tourism Innovation Hub
Rabat – Morocco's Minister of Tourism, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, has signed a financial agreement regarding the establishment of the first UN Tourism Thematic Office on Innovation for Africa in Rabat. The minister signed the agreement with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN Tourism, on Thursday on the sidelines of the 123rd session of the UN Tourism Executive Council in Madrid, Spain. The office seeks to work to support the UN Tourism 2030 Agenda for Africa, to make the sector a driver of development across the continent. Data from the UNWTO shows that arrivals across Africa recovered 96% of pre-pandemic visitors, noting that North Africa is recording a strong performance at the continental level. Arrivals in North Africa reached 8% higher between January and July 2023, compared to the pre-pandemic levels in 2019 Last year, Morocco achieved a milestone by welcoming 17.4 million international tourists, representing a 20% increase compared to 2023. This means that Morocco was the most- visited country in all of Africa, according to UN Tourism. 'Over the last five years, Morocco has averaged USD 3.5 billion in FDI annually across all sectors,' UN Tourism said, noting that $2.2 billion was allocated to the sector between 2014 and 2023. The website quoted UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona, stressing Morocco's regional leadership in the tourism sector. Morocco's tourism sector has become a key economic driver, contributing 7.3% to GDP by 2023. The tourism office forecasts that Morocco is prepared to continue its growth with a remarkable 35% increase in international arrivals since 2019 and $10.5 billion in tourism revenue. Tags: Africa Tourismatlas mountains tourism
