Saudi Arabia and Morocco signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation in tourism and coordinate efforts to achieve sustainable development of the tourism industry.
The ceremony was attended by Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khatib, and his Moroccan counterpart, Fatima Zahra Ammor, on the sidelines of the 117th session of the Executive Council meeting of the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
In a statement, Al-Khatib said: “Saudi Arabia and Morocco enjoy a joint commitment to protect rich heritage sites, marine, mountainous and desert natural areas, in addition to their keenness on giving priority to youth in their development plans.”
He emphasized that the Kingdom’s tourism goals paid great attention to the importance of sustainability.
For her part, the Moroccan minister of Tourism noted that the new MoU reflected the “strong ties between the two countries and the common vision towards consolidating partnership and improving prospects for cooperation in the tourism sector...”
“It will lead to more joint initiatives and the exchange of experiences and best practices, allowing the two countries to develop their capabilities in the tourism field,” she added.
The Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) opened on Wednesday in Marrakesh a three-day meeting, with the participation of over 250 representatives of UNWTO member countries, including tourism ministers, public and private investors, travel agents, and hotel and travel industry professionals.
The agenda focuses on the current turn in international tourism, the financial situation of the organization, a report on human resources, a proposal to create a study group to rethink future tourism, and a report on the progress of the legal and practical framework for the creation of regional and thematic offices of the UNWTO.
