RESPONSIBLE TOURISM, OUR RESPONSIBILITY

MOROCCO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY

Photo credits : with Jamal au Bivouac Oasis Mille et Une Nuits - Ouled Driss Pablo Ramón/NATIVE Hotels (10) - Kasbah Dar Daïf (1)

Riad Dar Kamar (1)2

EDITORIAL

«The first edition of the Morocco Responsible Tourism Day will be a unifying event mobilizing us all - citizens, institutions, professionals, Moroccan and foreign tourists, media and civil society - for the development and promotion of responsible tourism.

“Vision 2020”, Morocco’s tourism development strategy has made of sustainable tourism one of its founding pillars. The Moroccan tourism offer is respectful of its natural resources and cultural heritage, and secures well-being and wealth for local populations.

Today, it is time for responsible tourism to be more than a niche product and become a comprehensive approach, adopted both by tourism professionals and consumers. In this respect, the education of the youth and the awareness of all stakeholders, including tourists, shall play a central role»

Lahcen HaddadMinister of Tourism

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2016, MOMENTUM FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN MOROCCO

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Sustainable Development: Morocco’s Driving Force for Growth

VISION

2015 and 2016 are key years to highlight Morocco’s efforts in sustainable tourism and development. Thanks to the insightful vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is fully engaged in a model of sustainable development. The human being is at the heart of this model, as well as the preservation and enhancement of natural and cultural resources, rural development and poverty alleviation. Morocco has thus adopted a National Charter

for Environment and Sustainable Development, which has entered into force through the approval of law 99-12 on the National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development.

While deploying ambitious strategies to preserve and enhance its natural heritage, water and energy, Morocco also endeavors to integrate sustainable development and climate change components in all its public policies and development

projects. These actions actually reflect the international commitment of the Kingdom to fight address climate change issues, taken at the conferences of Rio and Johannesburg. The country intends to further confirm its commitments at COP 21 in Paris in December and COP 22 that Morocco will host in 2016.

Caption: Todra Gorges - Southern Morocco

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Sustainable Tourism, a Strategic Choice

TOURISM

A lever for growth

Tourism represents about 8% of Morocco’s GDP. In 2014, 10.28 million international tourists visited Morocco, a 10% increase compared to 2010. Tourism has great impact on other sectors of the national economy.

It provides 505,000 direct jobs, almost 5% of overall national employment, contributing largely to wealth generation and the fight against unemployment and poverty in the country.

From travel to experience

Consumers’ awareness of the challenges of sustainability increases the interest in responsible tourism offers. Sustainability is part of travelers’ expectations despite the fact that it is still not a key deciding factor. One of the decision making factors nowadays has become the quest for experience rather than just holidays, besides prices. Indeed, responsible tourism provides unforgettable experiences: meeting local people, adventures in preserved landscapes, immersion in authentic ways of life…

An Appropriate answer

Tourism development is accompanied by a diverse offer in a competitive context. In the Mediterranean region, the focus is on satisfying various demands and suggesting new offers to offset the loss of attraction of some destinations due to security concerns or environmental degradation. To guarantee its long-term sustainability, the Moroccan tourism industry has adopted a sustainable development approach that guarantees the preservation of the country’s competitive assets, nature, people, values, culture and traditions.

TOURISM IN MOROCCO IN FIGURES

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+10 M TOURISTS in 2014 ...............................

+500K jobs...............................

8% GDP of Morocco...............................

4th

African destination according to the 2015 World Economic Forum ...............................

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Sustainable Tourism, Flagship of Morocco’s Tourism Policy

COMMITMENT

I am delighted to see Morocco’s leading role in building a tourism sector which is using its opportunities for job creation and development while fostering sustainable consumption and production. Truly a country committed to drive the change!

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Taleb Rifai Secretary-General, UNWTO

Morocco has chosen to put responsible tourism at the heart of its tourism strategy. It promotes an authentic and responsible destination thus boosting the country’s economic development through preserving its culture, values, traditions, identity and environment. The aim is to make of Morocco a model in the Mediterranean region by 2020.

In its strategic vision, the ministry of Tourism has opted for an innovative development policy that allows for a better distribution of tourism-generated wealth through a territorial approach. It has also adopted a detailed action plan combining the

implementation of normative and regulatory reforms, capacity-building of stakeholders, incentives and monitoring systems.

Besides its national vision, Morocco also actively participates in all international initiatives aimed at recognizing sustainable tourism as a key contributor to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. Thus, the kingdom was one of the initiators of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism in 2011 and its chair from 2013 to 2015. Moreover Morocco is currently one of the 3 co-leads of the sustainable

tourism program within the “10 Years Framework Policy” (10 YFP-ST) which is led by UNWTO. This program, initiated in Rio+20 Conference, seeks to consolidate international cooperation in order to accelerate the shift to sustainable consumption and production in the world.

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Promote Morocco’s image by a Responsible Tourism Day

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Spread the concept of sustainability and raise the citizens’ awareness about its concrete manifestation in the tourism sector

Sustain a genuine ecosystem around sustainable tourism by valuing all existing initiatives and all involved stakeholders.

Promote a modern and attractive image of Morocco fostering the commitment of operators and travelers at national and international levels.

Promote the adoption of tourism principles to encourage more tourism stakeholders to adopt a sustainable approach in their activities

Mobilization Around the Sustainable Approach

MOBILIZATION

The strategic vision V2020 has highlighted Morocco as a high value-added authentic tourism destination, where sustainable development holds a key position. Today, it seeks to raise awareness of the whole ecosystem to involve everyone, institutions, elected representatives, investors, professionals, tourists and citizens.

Everyone should seize this momentum and be committed!

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Dedicate a day to responsible tourism

MOBILIZATION

Highly recommended by the stakeholders

of the tourism sector, this day will be an

annual event dedicated to experience and

achievement sharing experiences and

achievements in the field of sustainable

tourism in Morocco.

This event aims to promote

initiatives and gradually

mobilize the whole

population of the country.

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Goals of the Event

CHALLENGES

HighlightMorocco’s

leadership in sustainable tourism

in Africa and the Mediterranean

region

Share

the best practices

Raisepeople’s awareness about sustainability

challenges

Mobilizearound the values

of sustainable development

PromoteMorocco’s

Responsible Tourism Awards

Create

a unifying event for all stakeholders

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The integration of sustainable development principles into tourism policies is a great opportunity for Africa. It promotes the economic and social advantages for local communities and preserves the natural environment and biodiversity and the assets of the African destination. As such, Morocco’s Responsible Tourism Day will highlight sustainable tourism as a development lever for Africa.

Morocco will host delegations from several African countries to share their visions and experiences. Private sector representatives will present their initiatives throughout the tourism value chain in their countries. On the sidelines of the event, a training seminar will provide an opportunity to exchange on the best practices

An Africa-oriented event

LEADERSHIP

BEST PRACTICES OF THE CONTINENT ON THE AGENDA

Delegations from several African countries will share their strategic visions

Private sector representatives will present their initiatives

A training seminar on the practices of sustainable tourism and concepts of sustainable consumption and production

A 10YFP label for the event

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Morocco’s Responsible Tourism Day will be held on January 25, 2016 in Rabat

EVENT

Within the framework of an ambitious 5-year program, Rabat is named “City of Light, the Moroccan capital of culture”. This integrated program focuses on seven aspects that draw on sustainable development principles, such as prompting the cultural and urban heritage of the city and preserving green areas and environments. Inscribed on UNESCO‘s World Heritage List, Rabat embodies an innovative urban planning and highly aware of the preservation of historical monuments and traditional habitats.

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Highlights of the day

EVENT

Conference and meetingsThe day will kick off with a ministerial panel under the theme of sustainability at the heart of public policies. This panel will be an opportunity to discover the African best practices in the field of sustainable tourism through the participation of African ministers. Then, the event will host committed stakeholders, communities, tourism destinations, travelers, who will come to present their experiences in the field of the best practices’ and experiences’ implementation under the label of sustainability.On the agenda: spontaneity, interactivity and participation. The Day will be full of encounters.

6th Morocco Sustainable Tourism Awards The 2015 Morocco Sustainable Tourism Awards ceremony will be the highlight of the Day. For seven years, the Awards have been rewarding outstanding sustainable initiatives of the tourism stakeholders in Morocco. Previous editions highlighted projects and created a community of committed stakeholders. For the 2015 edition, the Tourism ministry aspires to give it an international dimension through this high-profile event to reinforce the destination attractiveness of Morocco and its international visibility.

The new Moroccan Charter for Sustainable Tourism

Another highlight of the Day, the new Moroccan Charter for Sustainable Tourism will be presented to the participants. The document, which used to stress the will and principles of a sustainable and responsible tourism, has become a text that clearly sets out the commitments of each stakeholder. The new charter will be signed by a number of professional and institutional stakeholders during the day.

THE AWARDS IN FIGURES

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6th Edition

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+20 winners since 2008 ............................................

5 categories in 2015............................................

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National and International Participants

TARGET GROUPINTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

GENERAL PUBLICINSTITUTIONS

Members of the Moroccan government

UNWTO

UNDP

UNEP

CGEM

CNTNationalInstitutions

African Tourism institutions

Local authorities

Elected representatives

Universities

Tourism professionals

National media

International journalists

Winners of Morocco’s Responsible Tourism Awards

International operators

International cooperation agencies

Tourism Administration

NGOsInfluencers

Bloggers

International experts

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Caption: Tan Tan Moussem, inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

The success of the event depends on the commitment of all stakeholders around the values of sustainable development. You are invited to take part in this first unifying event for sustainable tourism in Morocco!

Your commitment

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Tourism Ministry: Lot 1 C17, Avenue Ennakhil -Hay Riad RABAThttp://www.tourisme.gov.ma/

Sustainable Tourism Awards: http://trophees-tourisme-durable.ma/https://www.facebook.com/tropheestourismedurable/https://twitter.com/MarocDurable

Contact at the Tourism MinistryNaoual Bellile : nbellile@tourisme.gov.ma

Contact Media: Hopscotch AfricaSaadia Elmouden selmouden@hopscotchafrica.com

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