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Morocco rakes in $9.5bn in tourism in October

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Despite a devastating earthquake that struck parts of the country in September, the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism said the country had ranked in $9.5 billion by the month of October.

In a published statement on Saturday, the ministry said the flow of remittances from Moroccans abroad had continued to break records every year, reaching MAD 96.4 billion ($9.5 billion) in the first 10 months of 2023, a 6.1% year-on-year increase, according to data from Morocco’s Exchange Office (OE).

The statement noted that data compiled by the OE indicated that the flow of remittances maintained an upward trajectory for the past five years, going from $5.4 billion in the first months of 2019 to $8.9 billion in 2022.

The report also noted that an earlier report from the OE revealed that France, Spain, and Italy were the largest sources of remittances flowing to Morocco.

“The three European countries accounted for a staggering 57% of the overall volume of remittances sent to Morocco in 2022,” the report said.

“At the end of 2022, the volume of remittances reached record-high levels, settling at MAD 110.7 billion ($11.1 billion), a 16% increase from last year’s MAD 95.5 billion ($9.5 billion). The average annual growth rate for remittances between 2019 and 2022 is now at 19.4%.

“In terms of the share of each country, France remains the top source country with 32% of remittances, followed by Spain with 13%, Italy with 11.5%, and Saudi Arabia with 7.6%. Over the past five years, remittances from Canada to Morocco recorded the highest growth rate at 28%, followed by Spain with 27.6% and Italy with 20%.

“Remittances are of strategic importance to Morocco, as they provide a stable source of foreign exchange”, it said.

Along with tourism, remittances are the North African country’s main source of foreign exchange and a source of income for thousands of families.

“Remittances are of vital importance as they provide a source of the livelihood of many families,” Morocco’s central bank governor, Abdellatif Jouahri said in January 2023.

He added that in Morocco, the 37% historic increase in the volume of remittances in 2021 catalyzed the country’s post-pandemic economic rebound.

Culture

Trevor Noah set for ‘Off the Record’ world tour

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South African comedian and talk show host, Trevor Noah, has announced a date for his “Off The Record” global tour where he hopes to spread humour and bring his social commentary to audiences across the globe.

The former host of “The Daily Show”, who made the disclosure on his social media pages, said he would kick off his tour on July 29 in Europe.

The multi-award winning comedian known for his insightful commentary, took to his social media platforms on Thursday to share the news of his upcoming international tour.

“Love that we were able to add some US & Canada shows for 2024! See… there’s still a chance for us CA, NJ, CT & Ontario!” he wrote.

According to the itinerary he put up, the tour is set to kick off in countries like Monaco in France, Germany, the United States, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia, bringing his captivating comedic style to audiences across the country.

Noah’s announcement of the “Off the Record” tour was met with enthusiastic responses from his devoted followers, who took to social media to express their joy and anticipation.

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UNESCO removes Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park from list of World Heritage sites in danger

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The United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has removed
Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park from the list of World Heritage sites in Danger after citing positive results achieved by the West African country and its formal commitment to reappraise plans to the development of the property.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which took the decision during its meeting in New Delhi, India, made the announcement on Wednesday July 24, saying it was satisfied with measures taken by the country to allocate considerable resources to the surveillance of the park in order to combat poaching and illegal gold panning.

The park, which is located in a lush area along the banks of the Gambia River, was included in the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2007 as poaching, basalt mining and other human activities were becoming growing threats.

The gallery forests and savannahs of Niokolo-Koba are home to a rich wildlife, including the world’s largest antelopes.

According to UNESCO, since then, monitoring of emblematic species has been stepped up and considerable resources have been allocated to the surveillance of the park in order to combat poaching and illegal gold panning, as well as to better organize the transhumance of livestock.

The body also commended the setting up of a mine pollution control system, and hailed Senegal for work that has been carried out to improve the fight against the invasive species Mimosa pigra.

The World Heritage Committee called on Senegal to continue its efforts in the coming years in so as to improve the National Park which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.

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