Morocco responsible tourism day : Responsible tourism, our responsibility

1. RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM, OUR
RESPONSIBILITY
MOROCCO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM DAY

2. 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

3. 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 Haddad
Minister of Tourism
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4. 2016, MOMENTUM FOR
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
IN MOROCCO
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5. 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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6. 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
...............................
+10MTOURISTS in 2014
...............................
+500Kjobs
...............................
8%GDP of Morocco
...............................
4th
African destination
according to the 2015
World Economic Forum
...............................
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7. 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!
‘‘
‘‘
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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8. Promote Morocco’s image
by a Responsible Tourism Day
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9. 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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10. 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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11. Goals of the Event
CHALLENGES
Highlight
Morocco’s
leadership in
sustainable tourism
in Africa and the
Mediterranean
region
Share
the best practices
Raise
people’s awareness
about sustainability
challenges
Mobilize
around the values
of sustainable
development
Promote
Morocco’s
Responsible Tourism
Awards
Create
a unifying event for
all stakeholders
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12. 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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13. 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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14. Highlights of the day
EVENT
Conference
and meetings
The 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
............................................
6th
Edition
............................................
+20winners since 2008
............................................
5categories in 2015
............................................
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15. National
and International
Participants
TARGET GROUP
INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
GENERAL PUBLICINSTITUTIONS
Members of
the Moroccan
government
UNWTO
UNDP
UNEP
CGEM
CNT
National
Institutions
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
NGOs
Influencers
Bloggers
International
experts
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16. 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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17. Tourism Ministry:
Lot 1 C17, Avenue Ennakhil -Hay Riad RABAT
http://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 Ministry
Naoual Bellile : nbellile@tourisme.gov.ma
Contact Media: Hopscotch Africa
Saadia Elmouden selmouden@hopscotchafrica.com
Design
Mistar.fr
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