Morocco to Sponsor 'International Year of Sustainable Tourism'

Morocco has partnered with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as the official sponsor of the program of activities planned for the celebration of the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017” (IY2017), placing sustainable tourism and Responsible at the heart of its tourism strategy.

The objective of this year’s celebration, which is part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Program, is to raise awareness among public decision-makers to make tourism a catalyst for positive change, according to a document from the Ministry of Tourism.

This second edition brought together more than 300 national and international guests, including several members of the government, African ministerial delegations, international organizations, tourism professionals and members of civil society.

According to a statement published by MAP, the Ministry of Tourism is committed to mobilize all stakeholders to implement an awareness-raising program to promote sustainable tourism and to undertake numerous actions and initiatives to make it a lever of national development and to establish Morocco as a reference destination for sustainable and responsible tourism.

Morocco is also proposing a program dedicated to the celebration of the IY2017 at the African scale in the form of a caravan to promote the African Charter of Sustainable Tourism as well as the best practices of sustainable tourism in Africa.

Signed by Morocco and the World Tourism Organization in the margins of COP22, this charter constitutes a reference framework for the development of sustainable tourism in Africa by allowing a sustainable dynamic that combines economic and social development, preserves the environment, and respects the cultural diversity of each country.

The program of the celebration of Morocco of the IY2017, entitled “Sustainable tourism: a genuine and responsible approach”, is part of the actions already committed to the promotion of sustainable tourism aiming to raise awareness of the field throughout the national territory.

The IY2017 will also reinforce the activities initially launched to promote sustainable tourism, such as the National Day for Sustainable Tourism, which aims to raise awareness and mobilize all stakeholders in the sector for the development and promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism, to make known the successful projects and the good initiatives in this field, and to encourage the sharing of good practices between regional and international partners.

Source :Morocco World News