New York - Rabat: Europe and the Arabs
The World Tourism Organization has announced the names of startups and innovators who have reached the final list in the first competition for startups in the field of tourism in Morocco. According to the United Nations newsletter, a copy of which we received on Tuesday morning.
The World Tourism Organization said that cooperation between it and the Moroccan Company for Tourism Engineering aims to revitalize the tourism sector by instilling new ideas and creative solutions, and establishing a sustainable framework that benefits the environment and local communities.
The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvil, stated that the Kingdom of Morocco is "a real pioneer in the field of tourism, as innovation represents an important element in the rapid recovery of tourism from the effects of the epidemic."
Five pillars
Since the competition was announced last November in collaboration with the Moroccan Tourism Engineering Company, the competition has attracted 135 applications from all over the Kingdom of Morocco.
The competition focused on providing solutions for the development of Moroccan tourism through five main pillars, namely:
Innovation in the blue and green economy (life underwater)
Innovation in natural heritage: nature, trekking and hiking.
Innovating in Natural Heritage: Desert and Oasis Adventures.
Innovation in cultural heritage: Preserving heritage through cultural innovation.
The Sustainable Urban Future: Innovation in Urban Tourism.
The World Tourism Organization said that 60 percent of the startups that applied to participate in the competition aimed at achieving Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals on decent work and promoting economic growth, while 54 percent of the applicants focused on achieving Goal 17, which is partnerships to achieve the goals.

the final list
The final list announced by the World Tourism Organization is as follows:
Blue and Green Economy Innovation Category: Moroccan Surfing and Water Sports Guide (MOJA); And the "Nama" social portal to organize surfing activities in the town of Umm Suwan.
Nature, excursions and hiking category: ANEGMA platform for booking accommodations in Morocco that is not traditional and unusual; and Into the Wild, a company for booking stays in national parks.
Desert & Oasis Adventure Category: Moroccan "Omnia" Experience of Innovative Economy Stays; and (Terre Des Etoiles) or "Land of the Stars" for non-traditional budget stays.
Heritage Preservation Through Cultural Innovation category: (ATAR), an app for exploring cultural heritage; And "Mashi Mushkil", which is a new idea for serving street food.
Urban Tourism Innovation category: (Marocultour), an online service for organizing cultural tours on tricycles driven by Moroccan women; And (Pikala Bikes), which is an environmentally friendly service that provides tourists with the opportunity to discover the city of Marrakech on bicycles.
In turn, the Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Fatima Zahra Amour, confirmed that she is proud of the ten winning companies, noting that these companies will receive guidance and support dedicated to each of them according to the nature of their work, and they will have the opportunity to reach capital owners in the world.
This, she said, "will not only help them grow, but also enhance the experiences of our tourists and create new job opportunities."
As for the General Manager of the Moroccan Company for Tourism Engineering, Imad Berkad, he said, "I am proud to see so many innovative projects in a promising sector that is looking forward to new creative ideas. Together, we can make a difference."