Marrakech – UN Tourism officially opened its first-ever thematic office in Africa on Thursday, establishing in Morocco’s capital a permanent base dedicated to innovation across the continent’s tourism sector.
Morocco’s Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor and UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais jointly inaugurated the office. Ambassadors from African member states and UN representatives in Morocco attended the ceremony.
The UN Tourism Thematic Office on Innovation for Africa is tasked with supporting the organization’s Agenda 2030 for the continent. Its mandate covers capacity-building programs for public and private stakeholders, innovation-focused forums, and continent-wide entrepreneurship initiatives.
Al Nowais called the inauguration “a major milestone” for the tourism sector. She noted that the office is not a symbolic institutional structure but rather a platform for action aimed at supporting startups, accelerating digital transformation, and developing skills across African tourism markets. The office, she added, would function as an operational center from its first day.
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Morocco currently targets 20 million international visitors in 2026. The country is Africa’s top tourism destination and generated 894,000 direct jobs in 2025, up from 802,000 in 2022, according to data from the High Commission for Planning (HCP) relayed by the Tourism Ministry.
Ammor linked the initiative to Morocco’s broader South-South cooperation strategy under King Mohammed VI. “Our tourism track record and our deep continental ties make Morocco a natural hub for this innovation-driven ambition,” she stated on LinkedIn following the ceremony.
In statements to the press, she also pointed to the continent’s growing numbers. Africa welcomed 81 million tourists in 2025, an 8% increase year-on-year.
The minister noted that innovation in tourism extends beyond technology to include business models, local experiences, sustainability, connectivity, and the inclusion of youth, women, entrepreneurs, and local communities.
“This office will be a platform for exchange and concrete action, supporting a more competitive and more sustainable African tourism sector that creates jobs for our youth,” Ammor told reporters.
Morocco projects tourism arrivals could surpass 26 million by 2030, with annual revenues reaching approximately MAD 200 billion ($20 billion). Supported by a $600 million 2023-2026 roadmap, the government is incentivizing private investments that can cover up to 30% of capital expenditure.
The strategy focuses on diversifying attractions, upgrading hotels, doubling air capacity, and boosting marketing to transform the sector into a key economic engine.
Substantial investment is being poured into expanding airport capacity (e.g., in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir) and developing transport networks, including high-speed rail.
With a record-breaking 19.8 million tourists in 2025 and about MAD 138 billion ($13.8 billion) in tourism revenues, the country is expanding its focus beyond traditional tourism to include desert experiences and water sports.
“Africa has the talent, the assets, and the energy to shape its own tourism future,” Ammor declared in her LinkedIn post. “From Rabat, Morocco is proud to help build it.”
The legal framework for the new office rests on two agreements. A headquarters agreement was signed in January 2025 in Marrakech. A second accord covering financial and administrative arrangements was concluded in May 2025 in Segovia, Spain.
The inauguration was followed the next day by the second edition of the International Conference on Technological Innovation and Tourism Investment in Marrakech.
Al Nowais spoke at the opening, describing Morocco as a reference model for African tourism development. She cited the country’s political stability, modern infrastructure, cultural assets, and long-term strategic planning.
The UN Tourism chief also pointed to Morocco’s approach to territorial storytelling, explaining how the country has turned its cultural, historical, and intangible heritage into immersive visitor experiences that add value to its tourism product.
The Marrakech conference, organized by the Moroccan Society for Tourism Engineering (SMIT) in partnership with the Tourism Ministry and UN Tourism, featured startup pitch sessions, panels on innovation financing and tourism trends, and an exhibition of national projects spanning digital, gaming, and gastronomy sectors.
A total of 275 startups participated in a national competition jointly launched by SMIT and UN Tourism. Trophies were awarded to the most innovative projects. Organizers also announced the launch of a new competition focused on rural tourism, aimed at identifying projects with strong territorial impact as part of Morocco’s strategy to diversify its tourism offerings.
