RABAT, Morocco--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 29, 2025--
UN Tourism has strengthened its partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, a key ally in its mission to grow innovation across Africa and boost investments into the tourism sector of the region.
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In an official visit to the Kingdom, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili celebrated its achievements in growing tourism and making the sector a pillar of economic diversification and sustainable growth. According to the latest UN Tourism data, Morocco welcomed 17.4 million international tourists in 2024, a 20% increase on 2023, making it the most-visited country in all of Africa.
Investment Guidelines for Morocco launched
To support the further growth of tourism across the Kingdom, in Rabat, UN Tourism officially launched “Tourism Doing Business – Investing in Morocco”. The Guidelines – the latest in a growing portfolio of expert publications – outline the opportunities to be found in the tourism sector for international investors of all sizes. The Guidelines also set out investment trends and key areas of growth, including a focus on the Kingdom’s booming innovation ecosystem.
Supporting Moroccan tourism innovation
In Rabat, UN Tourism welcomed private sector leaders, including from SMIT Morocco, as well as leading entrepreneurs and small-business owners to celebrate innovation in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. In a keynote speech: “Global Trends on Tourism Tech and Innovation”, UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona highlighted the accelerating digital transformation of the sector.
Executive Director Bayona said: “Morocco's tourism sector has become a key economic driver, contributing 7.3% to GDP by 2023. With a remarkable 35% increase in international arrivals since 2019 and USD 10.5 billion in tourism revenue, Morocco is prepared to continue its growth. The country's stable political climate and strategic economic policies fortify this success."
Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, adds: "The Kingdom of Morocco's political stability, its competitive edge, the openness of its economy, the view on innovation and its forward thinking investment policies collectively positions the country as a privileged destination for both national and international investors”.
As part of the visit, an agreement was also signed to establish the UN Tourism Thematic Office for Africa, furthering Morocco’s role as a key partner in supporting tourism growth across the continent.
Top Start-ups recognized
The National Tourism Startup Competition, an initiative focused on fostering innovation in the Moroccan tourism sector and supported by the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT), has successfully concluded with the participation of 137 aspiring startups.
Among these, five standout enterprises were recognized for their groundbreaking contributions. Leading the charge is Ecodome, securing first place for its innovative approach to sustainable tourism. In a tie for second place, ATAR and Pikala showcased exceptional potential with their unique offerings. Taking the third spot is Wanaut, noted for its creative solutions in enhancing travel experiences. Finally, Mouja claimed fourth place, impressing judges with its forward-thinking strategies. This competition highlights Morocco's commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent and advancing its tourism industry through strategic investments and support.
UN Tourism officially launched “Tourism Doing Business – Investing in Morocco" (Photo: Business Wire)
NEW YORK (AP) — St. Patrick’s Day, the annual celebration of all things Irish, was marked across the United States on Monday with boisterous parades and festivities.
Across the pond, the Irish capital of Dublin culminated its three-day festival with a parade. Cities such as Liverpool, England, another city transformed by Irish immigration, also hosted celebrations on St. Patrick’s feast day.
School marching bands and traditional Irish pipe and drum ensembles ambled down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue with uniformed delegations from the police and fire departments in New York City, which hosts one of the nation’s largest and oldest parades.
As a light morning rain fell, the rolling celebration made its way north past designer shops and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a stunning Neo Gothic landmark that’s the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Mayor Eric Adams donned a green cap and scarf and waved an Irish flag while Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan greeted marchers wearing a green, white and orange sash -- the national colors of the Emerald Isle.
“It’s fantastic to be here,” said Ryan Hanlon, vice chairman of the parade’s board of directors. “We’re getting a little bit of rain at the moment, but as we Irish call it, it’s just liquid sunshine.”
The New York celebration, now in its 264th year, date to 1762 — 14 years before the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The parade was scheduled to last through the afternoon, ending on the east side of Central Park, about 35 blocks from where it started.
That's much, much longer than the 98-foot route in the resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, which claims it hosts the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
And in Savannah, thousands of revelers in gaudy green costumes crowded sidewalks and oak-shaded squares as the South’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade wound through the historic Georgia city. This parade marked its 200th anniversary a year ago, tracing its origins to the day Irish immigrants marched to church in March 1824.
Lindsey Dodd, who’s been coming to Savannah’s parade for about 15 years, sported green hair braids, green lipstick and shamrock-decorated socks as her group set up chairs in a prime spot for parade-watching. Children tooted plastic horns and grown ups raised their beers as pipe and drum bands marched and pickup trucks towed shamrock-decorated floats.
“I just enjoy the festivities, people watching, the chaos,” Dodd said. “There’s just something special about Savannah.”
Some other American cities transformed by Irish immigration held festivities over the weekend. Chicago, turning its namesake river bright green with dye, celebrated Saturday. Boston and Philadelphia held their parades on Sunday. And the water in the White House fountain was dyed green, a tradition started by President Barack Obama.
The parades are meant to commemorate Ireland’s patron saint but have become a celebration of Irish heritage globally since they were initially popularized by Irish immigrant communities to show solidarity in times of discrimination and opposition in the U.S.
Bynum reported from Savannah.
Britain's Kate, the Princess of Wales, drinks Guinness during a reception with the Irish Guards, at a special St Patrick's Day parade and celebration at Wellington Barracks in London, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Eddie Mulholland/Pool Photo via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, third left, joins Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin, left, during a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump ahead of the White House St Patrick's Day reception, Wednesday March 12, 2025, in Washington. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
The fountain on the North Lawn of the White House is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The Chicago River is dyed green as part of annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Empty containers used for homemade drinks overflow the garbage cans after the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Tommy McCarthy and his wife Louise Costello, owners of the Burren Pub, play an Irish tune, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Somerville, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Michele Hunter, of Pawlet, Vt., center left, and Erin Riley, of Saugus, Mass., cheer a performer at the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A sheet metal worker high-fives the crowd during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Chicago River is dyed green as part of annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Performers shoot muskets at the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Chicago River is dyed green as part of annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
A Shriner motors by the crowd during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
April Loh, left, and Marie Maia, take a selfie while enjoying a Kiwi Mule mocktail, made without tequila, during the sober Saint Patrick's Day celebration at the Whistler House Museum, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Lowell, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A man on a float encourages the crowd to cheer louder during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Britain's Kate, the Princess of Wales, gestures during a reception with the Irish Guards, at a special St Patrick's Day parade and celebration at Wellington Barracks in London, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Eddie Mulholland/Pool photo via AP)
People attend the St Patrick's Day Parade in Belfast, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Liam McBurney/PA via AP)
People attend the St Patrick's Day Parade in Belfast, Monday, March 17, 2025. (Liam McBurney/PA via AP)
The Chicago River is dyed green as part of annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Spectators watch the St. Patrick's Day parade from a balcony, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Spectators cheer at the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Spectators cheer during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A man dressed as a leprechaun slaps hands with the crowd during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A drummer performs during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Participants dressed as Minutemen march during the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Boston, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A participant smiles during the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Montreal, Sunday, March 16, 2025.(Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP)
