Dakhla will host the 18th World Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World
- Tourism potential
- Morocco, host for the second time
- The Association of the World's Most Beautiful Bays
The city of Dakhla will host the 18th Congress of the World's Most Beautiful Bays Association, to be held between 27 November and 1 December 2024. This edition will be even more exceptional, as for the first time it will be held under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI.
The event, organised by the Regional Council of Dakhla Oued-Eddahab, with the support of the local authorities, will serve as a platform for dialogue, debate and exchange of experiences on various topics related to the preservation and enhancement of the bays, as well as sustainable development.
Tourism potential
According to the President of the Regional Council, Yenja El Khattat, ‘the Congress will highlight the tourism and economic potential of the region, as well as the efforts made to promote sustainable and inclusive development’.
‘This international event will have an African dimension, reflecting Morocco's vision, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to make Dakhla a meeting point for the development of both Africa and the Atlantic region,’ added El Khattat.
For his part, Louis Thébault, President of the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World, stressed that ‘the High Royal Patronage obliges us. We will strive to be worthy of it and it will certainly help us to further promote the cause of coastal protection and the improvement of bays on an international scale’.
Thébault, who represents Mont Saint-Michel Bay in France within the organisation, underlined that ‘it is an honour and a great pride for the World's Most Beautiful Bays to receive this recognition from His Majesty the King’.
Morocco, host for the second time
This is the second time that Morocco has hosted this international event: in 2004, the meeting took place in the city of Agadir.
This year's event in Dakhla is expected to be attended by representatives of the 44 member bays of the association from different continents. Other bays that have applied to join the international network will also be represented.
The Congress will bring together representatives of local authorities, elected officials, public and private sector managers, academics, as well as members of civil society and the media.
Morocco has three bays among the members of this international organisation: Agadir, Al Hoceima and Dakhla. The latter was admitted to the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World in 2019, during the meeting held in Toyama (Japan). Subsequently, in 2022, during the Congress held in Cambodia, Dakhla was unanimously elected as the venue for the 18th edition.
The congress programme includes the deliberations of the Association's General Assembly; workshops and debates on renewable energies and South-South and North-South partnerships; a forum on African bays; a youth forum; the video competition awards ceremony; as well as a beach clean-up campaign and a series of field visits in Dakhla.
Participants will have the opportunity to discover the natural and economic assets as well as the charms of this Moroccan city, the world capital of water sports, famous for its white sandy beaches, its dunes and its lagoon.
The Association of the World's Most Beautiful Bays
Founded in 1997, this organisation works to preserve and enhance the biodiversity of these exceptional natural jewels and to help promote sustainable tourism.
The association defines a set of admission criteria for its members. It recognises bays that ‘have protective measures, exceptional flora and fauna, attractive natural areas, local and national reputation, and economic potential’. Membership of the association therefore guarantees an internationally recognised label.
This international network currently includes 44 bays from 25 countries on different continents and is based in Vannes (France).
