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The North African country with the fastest growth rate in tourism sent out a clear message that its own private sector will now play a more prominent role in developing its all-important travel industry, indicating that it is ready to use expertise acquired over several decades of steady growth to spearhead new initiatives that would put a large number of unknown sub-Saharan countries on the map.

Supported by Morocco's King Mohammed VI and inaugurated by the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, the Moroccan Travel Market (MTM) was organized by the Rahal Group, one of the country's most respected firms with interests in the entertainment and catering industries, as well as a budding interest in tourism.

A first for the MTM, confidence in the country's potential was underlined both by the number of those exhibiting at the event and further stressed by the thousands of enthusiastic travel agents, tour operators and international investors, the latter being partially responsible for the huge increase in tourist-related construction. While the Moroccan tourism sector does welcome a massive increase in foreign investment, this private initiative showcasing the diversity of its wares was undoubtedly intended to stake out its territory.

MTM President Abdel Karim Rahal referred to the event's success as a result of both Morocco's own natural resources and a greater global perspective.  "We have a wide variety of terrain from mountains, forests and deserts to beaches and modern cities," he explained. "We can offer hunting, fishing and eco-tourism as well as the more traditional beach holiday or cultural visits."

Rahal went on to lay out a vision for the future of pan-continental African tourism that would benefit from a network of interlinked groups. Each would have its own tourist destinations while still offering the proximity to its neighbor's marvels.

"We here in Morocco have shown that it is possible to achieve high visitor numbers. By making a north-south bridge we believe that tourists from Europe will discover virtually unknown areas of Africa," he said.  Rahal also stressed that King Mohammed VI was taking a keen personal interest in tourism-related developments and that all major decisions were made at the level of the palace.

This new Maghrebi perspective was apparent from the series of big white tents housing the exhibition center evoking the sense of north Africa. The main entrance was lined with scores of chanting and drumming traditional musicians and the glistening points of the tents echoed the snowy Atlas mountain peaks in the background.

Regardless, it is inside where the MTM revealed the international nature of its tourism sector by offering more than 250 exhibition stands ranging from Moroccan spas and specialist trekking organizations to exhibitors from Cameroon, Madagascar and Mauritania. It is hoped that the MTM will stimulate a more coordinated approach to tourism among Morocco's neighboring states to the south.