This visit is part of the preparations for the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly, scheduled for Marrakech in October 2021, following the signing of a letter of intent between Morocco and the UNWTO on the organization of this event in the Kingdom.

During these talks, Bourita highlighted the experience of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in the fight against the impact of COVID-19, stressing the determination of the Kingdom to continue its cooperation with the UNWTO to restore the national tourism sector as a vector of sustainable development. The minister also reaffirmed Morocco's will to support the efforts of the Secretary General for the revival of world tourism and to work in coordination with the Organization during this pivotal period, at the national, regional and international levels, with a view to ensuring a lasting revival of world tourism.

For his part, Pololikashvili commended the Kingdom's positioning as a leading tourist destination on the African continent, a positioning whose foundations are stability, the richness of the cultural heritage and the diversity of the Moroccan tourist offer. He also praised the remarkable progress made by Morocco in the development of its tourism sector, a dynamic coupled with that of the continuous upgrade of its infrastructure.

The UN official also welcomed efforts made by the Kingdom to curb the spread of COVID-19 on its territory and mitigate its negative impact on the tourism sector, while reaffirming the commitment of the UNWTO to support the post-pandemic recovery plan as well as the national tourism strategy. Pololikashvili also praised the important efforts made by the Moroccan authorities to ensure the success of the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly, whose organization in Morocco testifies to the strong credibility enjoyed by the Kingdom as a key player in the development of world tourism.