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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.
