At an Africa-Americas Summit in which Morocco is participating for the first time, tourism leaders from Africa and the Americas have pledged to work together to make the sector a pillar of sustainable and inclusive collective development on both continents.
Morocco is taking part in the first Africa-Americas Summit, sponsored by UN Tourism, which began on Thursday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and will continue until October 5.
On the sidelines of the Africa-Americas Summit, the Kingdom of Morocco will be represented by its Ambassador in Santo Domingo, Hicham Dahan.
The summit aims to highlight the strong ties that unite the two continents and the essential role of tourism in strengthening these relations and improving the living conditions of their citizens.
“In a context of global interconnectivity and cultural diversity, South-South cooperation between Africa and the Americas is essential to promote sustainable development,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, at the opening of the Summit.
Pololikashvili emphasized that “promoting tourism and strengthening the creative industries are strategic pillars that stimulate economic growth and promote mutual understanding, cultural diversity and exchange of experiences.”
According to official data, the two continents recorded 267 million tourist arrivals last year, generating $371 billion in revenues, an increase of almost 31 per cent compared to 2022. From 2018 to 2023, 470 new investment projects worth $37.4 billion had been announced in the two regions, creating 131,763 jobs.
Many speakers at the Summit also highlighted Africa’s influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, including its impact on culture, music, cuisine and traditions.
The inaugural high-level meeting helped foster innovation ecosystems in tourism by encouraging entrepreneurship among key stakeholders, developing and adopting new technologies, and strengthening alliances to address common challenges such as climate change, economic and social inequalities, and cultural preservation.
The event was attended by the Vice President of the host country, Raquel Peña, as well as several ministers, senior officials, diplomats and tourism representatives from both sides of the Atlantic.
RT/sf/te/lb/gik/APA
Source link : https://apanews.net/morocco-participates-in-africa-america-summit/
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Publish date : 2024-10-05 14:49:01
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