Rural tourism a major development focus in Morocco, official
Morocco, Economics, 10/23/2004

Rural tourism in Morocco "has become a major development focus to enable the rural world benefit of the large tourist poles of the country," said Moroccan tourism ministry Secretary General, Hassan Kacimi, noting that some of tourism revenues are used "to protect nature," for environment preservation is key to sustainable development of countryside tourism.

At a forum held here by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO - October 18 to 20), in cooperation with George Washington University, Kacimi discussed in his presentation tourism development strategy in Morocco.

Kacimi said the rural world, which has preserved authentic values and traditions, namely the natural hospitality of rural people, offers many an attraction likely to create a very appealing tourist product and destination.

The development of the product and destination help attract new customers and increase investments in rural areas, said the Moroccan official, adding the objective is to reduce poverty and improve the living conditions of rural populations.

He said his department has an approach plan, associating in partnership several other departments and local organisations, to foster rural tourism from the analysis stage of the potentials to the marketing of tourist products and tourist facility building. The forum was attended by tourism ministers and senior officers of several countries, as well as professionals, researchers, moneylenders and World Bank and USAID representatives. The gathering decided to create a Seoul-based (South Korea) five million dollar fund, to be affiliated to the WTO, to promote sustainable tourism likely to help reduce poverty.

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  Egypt, Morocco sign agreement to foster tourism cooperation   (9/18/2004)

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