Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, met in Rabat on Thursday with the Chairman and CEO of French hotel group Accor, Sébastien Bazin, to discuss ways of developing Morocco's tourism sector. The meeting, attended by Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, addressed various ways of collaboration to promote Moroccan tourism, in light of Morocco's hosting of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The CEO of the Accor group pledged to make a significant contribution to the development of the Moroccan tourism sector. Highlighting the «long-standing relationship» linking Accor group to Morocco over the past 45 years, Bazin asserted that it was now time to step up efforts to increase the group's presence and invest further in the Moroccan market. In this respect, he expressed his group's determination to promote employability in the tourism sector by training and involving young Moroccans. This first step consists of «listening to the ambitions and demands of the Moroccan government» and assessing the means of responding favorably to them, explained the Accor boss. For her part, Ammor indicated that this meeting is intended as an opportunity to explore avenues of collaboration for the development of tourism in Morocco, noting that it comes at a time when the tourism sector is experiencing a remarkable dynamic. The Kingdom is preparing for major events such as the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup, she recalled, adding that these large-scale sporting events require a significant increase in accommodation capacity between now and 2030. Founded in 1967, Accor is the leading hotel group in Europe and the sixth largest in the world. It owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation homes.
