During the meeting, Bourita highlighted the strategic partnership between Morocco and UN Tourism, based on shared priorities and a common vision for the future of global tourism, underlining the Kingdom's key role as a leader in promoting sustainable tourism worldwide, in line with the Very High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as the Sovereign makes the tourism sector a lever for sustainable development and economic growth.

He also welcomed UN Tourism's decision to open a Thematic Office in Morocco, explaining that this structure will serve as a platform for cooperation between the Kingdom, UN Tourism and the Organization's member countries, as part of an approach in line with the High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for active, supportive and pragmatic South-South cooperation.

Bourita then highlighted Morocco's major projects in the field of tourism, notably hosting the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, pointing out that these events stand as unique opportunities to promote the Kingdom's tourism appeal while aligning with international best practices in sustainable tourism.

The minister seized the opportunity to recall the Very High Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI for sports tourism, deemed as a essential pillar of the Kingdom's development and a catalyst for promoting peace, stability and security, as well as bringing peoples and nations closer.

For his part, the Secretary General of UN Tourism hailed the Very High Strategic Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, focused on job creation and the promoting sustainable tourism.

He also welcomed Morocco's organization of sporting events of global and continental scale, such as the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, adding that these initiatives reinforce the Kingdom's status as a regional and global hub for sporting events in line with UN Tourism's international standards.

Pololikashvili also reaffirmed the organization's commitment to supporting Morocco through providing expertise, knowledge and technical support to ensure the success of these major projects.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Secretary General of UN Tourism presented the English version of a promotional book titled “Tourism Doing Business - Investing in Morocco”, showcasing opportunities in Morocco to potential investors at international exhibitions and trade fairs. In this regard, UN Tourism plans to translate this book into Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and French.

Morocco is currently a member of the UN Tourism Executive Board for the 2022-2025 period, and is officially submitting a candidacy to one of the seats allocated to the Africa region on the Board for the 2025-2029 period.

This visit by the Secretary General of UN Tourism is the second of its kind, as he previously held talks with Bourita in 2021, in a post-COVID context. At that meeting, the two parties shared their common vision of leveraging tourism as a driving force for development, while exploring ways of bolstering the industry's resilience in the face of global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

UN Tourism, based in Madrid, is a specialized United Nations agency playing a central and decisive role in promoting responsible, sustainable tourism accessible to all, with particular emphasis on the interests of developing countries. UN Tourism brings together 160 member countries and over 500 affiliate members, representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.