Morocco has been officially chosen as the host of the 24th Session of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to be held in 2021. Members attending the 23rd General Assembly in St Petersburg voted for Morocco ahead of bids from Kenya and the Philippines for the biennial assembly. The 2017 assembly was hosted in Chengdu China.
The three-member states presented their bids during the three-day assembly in St Petersburg, highlighting their commitment to accessibility and sustainability and for using tourism as a driver for job creation and economic growth for all.
The 24th Session of the General Assembly will be held in the city of Marrakesh in 2021, with the exact dates to be confirmed later. Zurab Pololikashvili, General-Secretary of UNWTO said: “Morocco. Is a long-standing ally of UNWTO and at this General Assembly, they clearly demonstrated how the kingdom had embraced tourism as a driver of positive change over the past few decades. Morocco also showed it has the infrastructure and the commitment necessary to host the most important high-level event for the global tourism sector.”
For the first time at a UNWTO General Assembly, member states used an anonymous electronic voting system, with one vote per member state. This switch away from paper ballots brings UNWTO in line with other United Nations agencies, further emphasising the organisation’s commitment to becoming an integral part of the wider UN system.
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