UNWTO Impressed with Morocco’s preparations for 24th General Assembly

• Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport, and Social Economy Nadia Fettah Alaoui and the UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili display copies of the agreement signed during the visit

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Kingdom of Morocco met to advance the organization of the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021. It is the first global high-level United Nations event to be held since the beginning of the pandemic.

Led by the Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, a delegation from UNWTO has concluded an official visit to Morocco to discuss the programme, calendar and facilities to be prepared for this statutory meeting that will focus on Education and Youth, Rural Development and Digital Innovation.

The Minister of Tourism of Morocco, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, and her team accompanied the delegation during the three-day visit and expressed their commitment to organizing an “historic” General Assembly to showcase the importance of restarting international tourism in a safe and more sustainable way. The Prime Minister of Morocco, Saadeddine Othmani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita welcomed the UNWTO Secretary-General in Rabat highlighting the importance of the celebration and the high-level support of the host country. The delegation was also received by the Governor of Marrakesh-Safi region, Karim Kassi Lahlou, and other local authorities and representatives of the private sector of the area that will be strongly involved in the preparations for the meeting. Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked the Prime Minister and his government for their “hard work” to ensure that the Assembly will be a success on the back of the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: “Tourism is adapting to the new reality and we face the future with optimism and with the backing of our Members.”

UNWTO Technical Visit to Morocco in Pictures

• UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili • The Wali of the Marrakech Safi Karim Kassi-Lahlou

• The Visiting UNWTO Team being toured around the YVES Museum • Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport, and Social Economy

• Zurab Pololikashvili and the Prime Minister of Morocco Saad-Eddine

El Othmani in an elbow shake • Zhanna Yakovleva, UNWTO’s Chief of Cabinet

UNWTO Technical Visit to Morocco in Pictures

• The Visiting UNWTO Delegation had a tour of Medina of Marrakech • Meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Kingdom of

Morocco Mr. Nasser Bourita

• Tarik Sadik – Director of of Strategy and Cooperation • The Minister of Tourism and the UNWTO Secretary General at the Medina of Marrakech

• Group photo with tourism stakeholders after a meeting of UNWTO delegation and Wali of the Marrakech Safi Karim Kassi-Lahlou • The Wali of the Marrakech Safi Karim KassiLahlou and UNWTO Secretary General