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Photo: Signing
of the Rural Tourism Agreement in
Morocco
Africa
Travel Association 6th Cultural and Ecotourism
Symposium in Fes, Morocco a major
success
 Mr.
James MacGregor
(center right), Keynote Speaker
A renowned
Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Planner, based
in Canada, James MacGregor has been credited with
developing the world's first Ecotourism Training
Program (for the Banff Center for Management) and
the first train-the-trainer program (for ECO
Brazil). The 13-week Ecotourism Workshop Series he
developed and delivered to the Commonwealth of
Caribbean Nations was given the prestigious Green
Globe Achievement Award, from the world Travel
& Tourism Council (WTTC). Mr. MacGregor has
prepared more than 100 Ecotourism projects in 12
countries including such initiatives as the Royal
Bengal Tiger Ecotourism Protection Plan
(Bangladesh, the Madagascar National Park
Ecotourism Strategy, and the Saskatchewan
Ecotourism Development Plan.He has worked with
First Nations through out Canada, from the Inuit in
Northern Labrador, to the Cree of James Bay to the
Haida of Haida Gwai.
Mr. MacGregor
is also a tour operator and owner of ECOadventures
Expeditions and the Lac Matagami Ecolodge. He
recently completed the Sustainable Tourism Action
Plan and e-Marketing Strategy for Southern Morocco
(for USAID).
 Mr.
Abelhamid Boumediene, Director, Moroccan National
Tourist Office for the Americas, named
Chairman
New York, NY : Mira
Berman, Executive Director, The Africa Travel
Association (ATA), announced that Mr. Abdelhamid
Boumediene, Director Moroccan National Tourist
Office for the Americas, will serve as Chairman of
ATA's Sixth Cultural and Ecotourism Symposium, Fez,
Morocco, December 8-13, 2002. Royal Air Maroc is
offering special airfares for ATA delegates and the
Symposium's headquarters hotel will be the Sheraton
Fez, located in the city center, 20 minutes from
Fez Saiss International Airport.
Mr. Boumediene, prior to his
appointment last March to the post of Director,
Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO) for The
Americas, based in New York, served as Secretary
General of MNTO. Both the public and private
sectors of the Tourism industry in Morocco and
especially in Fez, are pleased to have this
opportunity to welcome the Africa Travel
Association delegates to Morocco for this
Symposium. "We are all working very hard to offer
delegates the best opportunities to explore in pre
and post tours, the rich cultural and historic
diversity of the Moroccan tourism product," said
Mr. Boumedienne. He also expressed appreciation for
the strong support of Royal Air Maroc.
Special Air Fares on Royal
Air Maroc
 As
official airline for the Symposium, Royal Air Maroc
will offer ATA delegates a special airfare of $309
plus tax for New York/ Casablanca return and @320
plus tax for New York/Fez return Airfares to other
Moroccan destinations will be slightly more. This
announcement was made by Mr. Mustapha Benkirane,
Vice President Commercial and Marketing, Royal Air
Maroc. Delegates must be members of ATA register
for the symposium and take advantage of these
special airfares.
While another highly
successful ATA Ecotourism Symposium took place in
Marrakech, Morocco in 1996, this is the first time
ATA will hold an event in Fez, described as "the
spiritual and cultural center of
Morocco"
Host Country Day Tour
Highlights Meknes and Volubilis
As the Kingdom's original capital (808 AD), Fez
is known as "the most imperial city of them all. "
Within an hour's drive are three major historic
centers and tourism destinations, each one a jewel
in the country's radiant crown. Fès is
surrounded by lakes, the Atlas Mountains, small
cities like Ifrane and Axrou, full cedars, and
other rare places. The Morocco National Tourist
Office will sponsor a full day tour for all ATA
delegates to Meknes, an Imperial City famous for
its Bab Mansour gate, the Royal Palace of Dar el
Makhzen and the ruins of Dar el Kebira, with two
ornate mosques and over 20 pavilions.
Other adjacent sites are the
Dar el-Ma water tower and Moulay Ismail Mausoleum.
Meknes is noted for its picturesque and exotic
souks (markets) with colorful food displays, wood
carvers, coppersmiths, potters, tanners, weavers
and dyers, all offering their various arts and
crafts. Close to Meknes is Volubilis, the most
important Roman ruins in all of Morocco. In 1997,
this rich legacy won Volubis the classification
"World Heritage Site " Moulay Idriss, with its
green-tiled minaret of the Khiber Medersa (Koranic
school) standing guard on the hillside, is another
attraction ATA delegates are sure to rave
about.
ATA's 6th Cultural and
Ecotourism Symposium in Fez, Morocco
The Kingdom of Morocco is located in Northern
Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea. Slightly larger than California,
with a similar lengthy coastline (3,500 km) and
separated from Europe by the strait of Gibraltar,
Morocco is one of Africa's top five travel
destinations. The country has a population of over
30,600,000 ,and while Arabic is the official
language, French is the language of business,
government and diplomacy. Morocco gained its
independence from France in 1956.
Thanks to a growing
awareness of Africa's vast potential, with interest
in Ecotourism at a peak worldwide, the ATA
Symposium has graduated from a biannual to an
annual forum. Representation comes from all parts
of Africa, with many Tourism Ministers
participating as well as National Parks people,
educators and travel agents, group organizers from
the US market who sell Africa.
"Morocco Destination
Specialists"
ATA Executive Director, Mira Berman, said that
this is a "wonderful opportunity for ATA members
travel agents, tour operators, group organizers,
meeting and conference planners to become "Morocco
Destination Specialists". Delegates will be able to
experience the diversity of Morocco first hand by
also taking advantage of pre and post tour offering
to explore the rest of this beautiful Kingdom of
Morocco"
About ATA
The Africa Travel Association is an
international, nonprofit, nonpolitical,
professional travel industry association, whose
objective is to promote tourism to Africa. Its
membership is comprised of National Government
Tourist Offices, hotels, airlines, ground and tours
operators, travel agents, group tour leaders,
marketing and media executives. ATA has chapters
throughout Africa and North America; is a member of
ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents of Travel
Agents), WTO (World Tourism Organization), an
industry partner with ARTA (Association of Retail
Travel Agents), a
Founding member of IIPT's
Coalition of Partners for Peace Through Tourism;
and a "Green Globe" member. ATA organizes an annual
international marketing conference in Africa; an
annual symposium on environmental and cultural
preservation; and publishes the Africa Travel
Magazine and web site,
www.africa-ata.org.
Africa Travel
Association
212 447 1926, fax 212-725, 8253
Africatravelasso@aol.co
TRADE
AND TRAVEL DIRECTORY
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Photo
Credits: Royal Air Maroc, Boeing Company
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