Setting sustainability guidelines for tourism in Morocco and Africa
The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism has spent lots of efforts reinforcing its policy framework to include sustainability principles mainly through the “Moroccan Charter for Sustainable Tourism” – a reference that clearly sets out the commitments of each stakeholder and is unprecedentedly reaching the public at large through wide dissemination.
The exercise broadened to the intra-regional area in consultation with UNWTO and several African counties to set out a voluntary framework that monitors tourism development in Africa, ensures its integration in a sustainable and responsible dynamic based on economic and social progress, preserves the environment, and respects local characteristics and cultural diversity.
the Moroccan Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Charter was elaborated with the aim to bring the tourism sector and the general public around common guidelines for sustainability in tourism.
The Moroccan Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Charter has been positively received internationally, and contributed to Morocco’s recognition in the field of sustainable tourism. Leveraging this national success, the Charter was further elaborated in conjunction with UNWTO and raised to an intra-regional level with the African Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Charter, to establish SCP guidelines for tourism in Africa. The Moroccan Charter is centered around four areas: environment and biodiversity preservation, sustainability of culture and local heritage, prioritization of local development and involvement of host communities, and adoption of ethics, equity and social responsibility principles.
The African Charter is centered around six areas: (1) Safeguarding and developing the natural heritage, (2) Preserving the cultural heritage and the local identity, (3) Integrating local and regional economy, (4) Diversifying tourism and its integration in a “green” and sustainable economy, (5) Equity, ethics, and social responsibility, and (6) Governance and success factors. Since its adoption in January 2016, the Moroccan Charter was espoused by over 350 national signatories from the public and private sector and civil society.
The African Charter was signed during UNFCCC COP22 by 24 African countries and UNWTO.
