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Rabat – Morocco and the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have partnered to support the digitalization of 10,000 local Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism industry.
Developed in collaboration with Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism, the action plan was announced at the start of a Thematic Session on “SMEs and Talent: Transforming Tourism,” indicated UNWTO in a press release. The session was part of UNWTO’s Executive Council that took place in Marrakech last week.
“Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises are the backbone of the global tourism sector,” emphasized UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, adding that MSMEs were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pololikashvili added that those businesses can “grow to become true agents of change and help build a more inclusive and sustainable sector,” if they receive the “right support.”
He emphasized UNWTO’s commitment to supporting MSMEs in Morocco and across the world to go digital and become “more innovative and competitive,” as well as resilient.
Describing the North African country as a “hub of innovation and entrepreneurship,” UNWTO indicated that small enterprises make up about 98% of Morocco’s tourism sector.
Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) represent a “major lever” for Morocco’s socio-economic development, said Morocco’s Minister of Tourism Fatim-Zahra Ammor, stressing that supporting SMEs is a “key priority” for the North African country.
Read also: Morocco Calls for More Resilient Tourism in Africa
The statement added that supporting Moroccan MSMEs represents the first pilot project of the UNWTO’s Digital Futures Programme set to be launched in Africa.
The thematic session saw the presence of global leaders from the public sector, including Morocco’s Minister of Tourism Fatim-Zahra Ammor, and Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of Tourism Siandou Fofana. The event also brought together private-sector leaders from Radisson Hotel Group and Mastercard among others.
In addition, UNWTO announced its plans to launch a national startup competition under the theme: “Invest in the development of Moroccan Tourism,” in partnership with Morocco’s ministry of tourism.
