On Friday in Marrakech, the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social Solidarity Economy, the Société Marocaine d'Ingénierie Touristique (SMIT) and the World Tourism Organization (WTO) signed a partnership agreement to promote investment and digitalization in Morocco's tourism sector.
Initialled by Mrs. Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Mr. Imad Barrakad, Managing Director of SMIT and Mr. Zurab pololikashvili, Secretary General of UNWTO. Zurab pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UNWTO, on the bangs of the thematic session of the 117th Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization on "SMEs and Talent to Transform Tourism", this agreement is part of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry and SMIT to enhance the attractiveness of Morocco as a destination for high value-added investments in the sector.
"This agreement covers three main areas, namely: Promotion of tourism investment, innovation and digitalization, and support for Moroccan tourism SMEs. It will also strengthen the Ministry's actions to improve the destination's competitiveness," Ms. Ammor stressed in a statement to M24, MAP's all-news television channel, on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.
In this context, the Minister pointed out that SMEs account for 95% of the Moroccan economy and are therefore of strategic importance, noting that tourism SMEs "represent a real spearhead for the resilience of our sector, and are the focus of several initiatives launched by the Ministry and SMIT, particularly in terms of digitalization".
"Our country is fully committed to accelerating the digital transformation of tourism SMEs. This is why we are extremely proud that our country has been selected to launch the 'Marrakech Call to Action', which will bring together all member states to focus on the digital transformation of SMEs and stimulate entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability in the sector", she added.
For his part, Mr. Barrakad indicated that the aim of this agreement is to promote inclusive tourism investment by SMEs and start-ups wishing to engage in innovation in tourism products and services, recalling that several programs have been launched in the Kingdom to support SMEs throughout their digital transformation process.
In this respect, Mr. Barrakad noted that SMIT has set up a digital platform enabling SMEs to network and develop a high-performance local ecosystem.
"We'll be issuing calls for tenders for SMEs as part of this partnership, in order to support them by incubating them, but also by providing them with a number of financial incentives and accompanying them to obtain financing that will enable them to ensure their sustainability and participate in the growth of tourism in Morocco," he explained.
For his part, Mr. Zurab stressed the importance of this agreement in promoting tourism investment and the digitalization of Moroccan tourism SMEs, welcoming the choice of Morocco as the pilot country for the "Digital Futures" program, which will accelerate the digitalization of tourism SMEs and consequently boost the sector.
Recalling that SMEs account for 80 % of all tourism businesses, Mr. Zurab said that UNWTO is committed to providing the skills and knowledge needed to harness the power of new and emerging technologies.
This thematic session also saw the launch of the national competition for Moroccan tourism start-ups, spearheaded by SMIT and in partnership with the World Tourism Organization, to select the most innovative tourism start-ups that will create the most unique tourism experiences of the future, in a context marked by the emergence of experiential tourism consumption modes.
This 117th session of the Executive Council, the UNWTO's governing body, was an essential meeting for the world's tourism players, reconfirming the post-Covid-19 priority orientations for developing the sector's resilience.
Some 250 representatives of UNWTO member states took part, including 16 ministers and senior tourism officials from member countries, as well as representatives of public and private bodies involved in the sector, destination management organizations, specialized investors and the international media.
Morocco was present in force at the event, with a delegation comprising professionals representing industry federations such as the Confédération Nationale du Tourisme (CNT), the Fédération Nationale de l'Industrie Hôtelière (FNIH), the Fédération Nationale des Agences de Voyages du Maroc (FNAVM), as well as the Office National Marocain du Tourisme (ONMT) and SMIT.
