MEDI1TV Afrique : MEDI1 SOIR 20:00 - 09/01/2025
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00:00Good evening and welcome to Medea TV. Thank you for joining us for a new newscast. Here are the headlines.
00:21Morocco's destination hit hard in 2024 with more than 17 million tourists. This record confirms Morocco's position as the first destination in Africa.
00:34Lebanon has a new president. This is Joseph Aoun. The commander-in-chief of the Lebanese army was elected today in the second round with 99 votes on a total of 128 deputies.
00:49Anjamena, the calm is back after an attack the day before. 19 dead, including 18 among the assailants, are reported by the authorities.
01:02In Morocco, the operation of voluntary regularization of the fiscal situation has allowed the declaration of more than 127 billion dirhams.
01:09An operation that exceeds initial forecasts, the minister said on Thursday. The minister is in charge of relations with the parliament and speaks to the government.
01:18This operation, which aims to encourage taxpayers to voluntarily regularize the situation of their profits, has returned to a non-declared imposable.
01:26Mustapha Baytas added that this value has allowed to re-inflate the treasury of the state of 6 billion dirhams.
01:3217.4 million tourists set foot in Morocco in 2024. The tourist sector continues to shine with a new arrival record. The destination of Morocco has struck hard. The story is from Maafikri.
01:48Signals are green for Moroccan tourism. With a growth rate of 20% compared to 2023, the kingdom has reached a historic record of 17.4 million tourist arrivals at the end of 2024, an increase of 3 million additional tourists.
02:06With this performance, Morocco becomes the first African country in terms of the number of tourist arrivals exceeding Egypt in the first ten months of the year.
02:15The country of the pharaohs, however, remains ahead of the tourist revenues, with more than 14 billion dollars generated, against 11 billion for Morocco.
02:22The Ministry of Tourism, Crafts and Social and Solidarity Economy congratulated on this result, emphasizing that the ambitious objective of the roadmap of the sector, initially planned for 2026, has been achieved in advance.
02:36These positive dynamics are reflected at the level of foreign tourists, who reach 8.8 million visitors, than Moroccans living abroad, which represents 8.6 million arrivals.
02:47The ministry emphasizes that the almost equal share between foreign tourists and emigrants is a testament to the constant attractiveness of Morocco for its two segments of travelers.
02:56The Minister of Tourism, Fatem Zahra Ammoura, attributed these results to targeted investments from the government and the commitment of professionals in the sector.
03:05Moroccan tourism represented 7% of the GDP in 2023 and created about 2 million direct and indirect jobs.
03:12In 2024, the performance was supported by better air connectivity, facilitated by partnerships with international airlines.
03:21Marrakech was the most visited city this year, with a record influx of tourists.
03:26The city's airport recorded 1,400 flights in the last two weeks of December, an average of 200 flights per day.
03:34This record of influx occurs while the country is actively preparing to host the Africa Cup of Nations at the end of the year, then the World Cup in 2030, which will be organized jointly with Spain and Portugal.
03:48And to come back to the record of arrival of 17 million tourists in Morocco in 2024, we have the pleasure of entertaining ourselves tonight with Hamid Buntahar, President of the National Confederation of Tourism. Good evening.
04:03Good evening.
04:06So with the figures announced by the Ministry of Tourism, more than 17 million tourists in 2024, it is a notable increase of 20% compared to 2023, more than half of which are foreign tourists.
04:19And what reading to make of these figures and what are the destinations in Morocco that benefit from these arrivals?
04:26Thank you for the invitation.
04:29First of all, today is a day to celebrate, because it is the first reading, it is the day of pride, the day of recognition for the efforts of all professionals.
04:40I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the professionals who have contributed, each in a different market, in different segments, to this performance.
04:51But also to thank both our public partners and the government, because it is the result of exceptional collective work.
05:01It is the result, above all, of a royal vision, under the impetus of His Majesty the King Koudioulassis.
05:07Our country has indeed become a regional leader and a continental leader, so this leadership is confirmed.
05:13I call it today, we celebrate the Tzborida of Moroccan tourism, we celebrate the epic of Moroccan tourism.
05:22But behind these figures, the first reading is that of the important potential of this sector.
05:30We have also seen figures that I particularly appreciate, those of employment.
05:36In 2023, the sector created 25,000 additional jobs.
05:40It is more than 880,000 people who work directly in the tourism sector.
05:47We add to that much more important figures on indirect jobs.
05:51And it is very often behind these figures, behind this performance, there are men and women who work in this sector, in different regions of the kingdom.
06:02It is a sector that can contribute to prosperity in territories where other industries cannot necessarily go.
06:11It manages to create jobs in large cities like small ones, in mountainous areas like areas in the desert, in imperial cities, but also in small villages.
06:22So it is the strength of this industry of travel and hospitality that contributes today a little more than before.
06:31But we are convinced that we can do much more than that because the potential of our country is enormous.
06:42So, the roadmap established by the government had set as an objective to reach 17 million tourists in 2026.
06:50An objective achieved two years in advance.
06:53Concretely, what will change in this roadmap? Will the objectives of 2026 be reviewed?
07:00So, first, indeed, the second reason to rejoice today is the collective public-private work that has yielded results.
07:12We are ahead on the roadmap. It is very important. It is an important signal for investors.
07:18It is an important signal that we are starting to see an impact on financial institutions.
07:24It is a very important signal for international partners.
07:28This signal must encourage us collectively, Moroccan and foreign investors, to accelerate the rate of investments and therefore the rate of job creation.
07:42Of course, this objective, 3 million additional visitors, we must double the effort because we still have potential for growth.
07:52Some regions, all regions, we will say, have had growth, but all have not benefited from this growth at the same level.
08:00So, we will have to double the effort on some regions that need it.
08:05I am thinking in particular of regions such as Draa Tafilelt, regions such as the Oriental and other regions in which the occupancy rates are still below 50%.
08:16So, this represents an opportunity, a reservoir of growth that will require a mobilization of all players, elected officials, professionals, authority to work hand in hand to benefit from this momentum,
08:34from this conjunction and this Moroccan momentum which is absolutely exceptional.
08:41We must continue the development of the airline.
08:44In fact, these figures show us that the airline has been a major element and I would like to thank the teams of the Moroccan National Tourism Office for the exceptional efforts they have made,
08:58they listened to us, they followed us and we see today these performances which are the result of this collective work with the Ministry and all professionals.
09:09It is seen more on the major destinations, but we must ensure that all regions, all territories can benefit from this positive momentum and that we can increase the level of activity,
09:25especially the occupancy rates in all destinations of the Kingdom.
09:28Go get the clients further, think big, see bigger. Our country is able to attract travelers from all over the world.
09:39We still have a lot of territories with which we are not connected, a lot of international airports, we can do better.
09:46So it's a positive momentum, perspectives that are, despite a difficult international context, this sector can contribute more to the economic and social challenges of our country.
09:58And yes, we can do better. How did we do better on the goals of this year, 2024, so we are moving forward towards 2026.
10:09We can review these objectives and accelerate the pace of growth. Yes, it is possible to go faster than what was initially planned in the roadmap.
10:18So with these figures, Morocco outclasses Egypt and becomes the first tourist destination in Africa in terms of number of tourists, but remains second in terms of revenue.
10:30How can we change the game and should we use it on other markets, namely those of the Gulf, for example?
10:37Definitely, the answer is yes, aimed in a general way at the long haul. As soon as we look for clients further, we reach a category of consumers who will stay on longer stays and who have a higher purchasing power.
10:53The purchasing power must go to destinations, indeed the Middle East, but also Asia, where there is a lot of purchasing power. We see links with China, but we need links with Japan, with Korea.
11:08Latin America, India are countries where there is a long-haul clientele that has a much greater purchasing power. And we must continue this effort to diversify markets, strengthen links with the long haul,
11:25attract this long-haul clientele, because when we come from far away, we will stay longer. And secondly, we reach a clientele category with a much greater purchasing power, which will contribute more to the payment balance and therefore to all economic and social challenges.
11:46So I share your point of view. There is a growth reserve on long-haul destinations in general. We can reach it through the hub, but I also hope more and more with direct flights. For example, we hope for a destination like Marrakech, where we are starting to have long-haul destinations.
12:05I would like to see this destination, which today remains a European majority destination, become a global destination. Marrakech is a global brand, but it is not yet a global destination because the airport could attract a lot more long-haul flights and become a real world airport, an international airport.
12:25It started today, we have companies like United Airlines, like Qatar Airways, but we must go to the five continents to connect Marrakech, but also make the same effort on all other airports and all other regions to continue to diversify our markets.
12:45So we can't talk about tourism without talking about the tourist boom that is coming at great pace. Morocco is preparing to host the Cannes 2025 and the World Cup 2030. What are the priorities today or the tourist sites on which you work as much as the National Confederation of Tourism? And the partnership you have between the state and the private sector, can we talk a little more about these subjects?
13:10First of all, we are very grateful for the efforts of all the people who contribute to attract international events in our country. We encourage them and we will work with all the professionals who are aware that attracting events of this level is a lot of effort and a lot of work and we must make it a great success.
13:31So the professionals are mobilized. In the application files for the World Cup, for example, we saw the feedback on the quality of the offers and the proposals that were made by the professionals. They were saluted and recognized and we must continue this effort to first increase the level of quality in all stages of the customer journey.
13:59So we work together with the public to get together in skills, win together in competitiveness, win in quality because it is an exceptional opportunity. We must organize next year everywhere, in all tourist companies, but I also hope in all cities.
14:19The most beautiful and the biggest party in Africa that has ever taken place. Because this World Cup will represent an exceptional opportunity. This World Cup will allow us to reach all the African elite who live all over Europe, which usually to go to a World Cup in South Africa is very far, it is very expensive, or in other countries the air connections are not always there, there is the rent, there is the price.
14:46Today we have a diversified offer in terms of housing, we have a diversified offer in terms of air. We can not only receive all Africans from Africa and organize a very beautiful party around the Africa Cup, but at the same time the African diaspora from all over the world.
15:07And this opportunity, we must mobilize all together and we are aware. There is work being done to improve the quality of experience in airports, very important. This is the first impression. So I would like to seize this opportunity that was given to me to say, we said it, when the airport experience, for example, was not very good.
15:27But lately we are beginning to see improvements. The end-of-year holidays went well. So I would like to seize this opportunity to thank all the departments, all the teams that contribute to improving the experience in airports. We must do the same work in transport in general.
15:45Whether it is tourist transport, but also public transport to prepare us, including tourist accommodation establishments. More effort to improve the quality, to give the best possible image, because the Africa Cup is a good opportunity to prepare for the World Cup.
16:02Well, thank you Hamid Bantaal for all these details. I remind you that you are President of the National Confederation of Tourism and that you have been with us since Marrakech.
16:12Thank you and thank you to you.
16:43The bill on the exercise of strike law has caused a lot of ink to flow in Morocco. If the text is not unanimous on the part of the trade unions, the Minister of Economic Inclusion wants to reassure. The explanations with Dina Mreni.
16:59The government is ready to bring funding amendments to the project of organic law related to the strike, and this in response to the demands of the workers. This is what the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Employment and Employment, Younes Khoury, said.
17:14The law that was voted in the House of Representatives is completely different from the project of organic law proposed by the former government. We want to clarify that the version adopted in the House of Representatives is a provisional version. Several of these provisions will be amended in the House of Advisers.
17:38The bill on the exercise of strike law has caused a lot of ink to flow in Morocco. If the text is not unanimous on the part of the trade unions, the Minister of Economic Inclusion wants to reassure.
17:55As a representative of the National Union of Labor, we have made a number of remarks and complaints about this bill. We are actively working to promote investment and employment.
18:17We have insisted on the fact that the KNOPS and the CNSS are subject to an inclusive debate. It is necessary to express our support for the opening of the government's mind. We, the Democratic Federation of Labor, remain listening to the future provisions that will be taken.
18:44Let us remember that the House of Representatives had recently adopted the project of organic law related to the strike. A project that defines the mode of exercise of the strike law as a whole, as it has been modified and approved by the House.
19:00Lebanon finally has a new president. The general of the Lebanese army, Joseph Haroun, takes over. This Thursday, after more than two years without president, Rajengo, for the explanations.
19:1399 of the 128 deputies said yes to Commander Joseph Haroun. The 61-year-old general is now the new president of the Lebanese Republic. In his speech to parliament, General Joseph Haroun said that a new era would open after his election at the head of the country.
19:33He promised to respect the truce with Israel after the murderous war that opposed Hezbollah in Israel. He assured that the state will now be the only one to carry weapons in the country.
19:46My commitment is to exercise my role as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of the Supreme Council of Defense, and to work through them to ensure that the right to carry weapons is exclusively attributed to the state.
20:13Joseph Haroun began his consultations to appoint a prime minister. This successful election for parliamentarians is the first step so long awaited to overcome the political and institutional void in Lebanon.
20:27The country is experiencing one of the most dramatic crises in its history. Since 2019, Lebanon has suffered an economic crisis characterized by the fall in currency value, but also hyperinflation and rising poverty rates. And in view of the regional geopolitical context, Joseph Haroun said he is ready to work with neighboring countries to maintain the sovereignty of the Lebanese Republic.
20:52My commitment is also to forge better relations with the Arab countries, brother, based on the fact that Lebanon is Arab by affiliation and identity. We will build strategic partnerships with the countries of the Levant, the Gulf of Arabia and North Africa, while preventing any conspiracy against our systems and our sovereignty.
21:20I will not interfere in the internal affairs of any of them, and I will solve the problem of the displaced.
21:27Ambassadors from several countries, as well as the French Embassy for Lebanon, attended the parliamentary session.
21:33Paris congratulated the new head of state and wished Lebanon to be endowed with a strong government, while the American Embassy in Lebanon said it was committed to working in close collaboration with the new president.
21:47Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed hope that Joseph Haroun's election would contribute to good relations between neighbors.
21:56Tehran, on the other hand, congratulated the election of the new president, hoping that the two countries will work together to serve their common interests.
22:27Even more deaths in Gaza. Palestinian authorities report 12 people killed today in Israeli bombings, including at least three children in Nusayrat, in the center and north of this territory.
22:39The Israeli army intensified its land and air attacks, attacks that continue to be perpetrated, while indirect negotiations resumed yesterday. They resumed this week between Israel and Hamas.
22:50The calm is back. An Jamena took an attack on the presidential palace the day before. This attack killed 19 people, including 18 among the attackers.
23:02The spokesman for the government accused this attack of a group of 24 people, which he described as, I quote, drugged and alcoholics, who came with weapons from a poor neighborhood in the south of the capital to attack the palace guards before being quickly neutralized.
23:19In the United States, at least five out-of-control fires are raging around the city of Los Angeles and are causing significant damage. Thousands of people fled their homes and are threatened by the flames.
23:32So far, the fires have caused five deaths, but authorities fear finding other bodies in the rubble.
23:38A trip to California, Joe Biden canceled due to these fires. The trip, which was supposed to take place this Thursday, in Italy.
23:49This is the end of this newscast. Thank you for following it. Méris with us. The info continues on Median TV.
24:19You.