World Travel Awards Reveals Moroccan Hosts for 2014-2016 Grand Finals

Following the signing of an official three-year hosting deal with the Office National Marocain du Tourisme, World Travel Awards has unveiled the host cities for its 2014, 2015, and 2016 Grand Finals.

On November 29th this year the showcase Grand Final will head to the Palais de Congres, part of the exclusive Palmerais Golf Palace, in the country’s pre-eminent tourism destination of Marrakech.

The spiritual heart of Morocco, Fez, will pick up the mantel in 2015, while economic powerhouse Casablanca will follow in 2016.

Tourism operators in all three cities are expected to enjoy a boost in their global exposure given the attention World Travel Awards commands.

The announcement of the host cities was made by World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke, Moroccan Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Dr. Lahcen Haddad, and Mohammed Arkobi, Chairman of Innovate Marketing Solutions, following a fact finding mission to the country.

World Travel Awards president Graham Cooke said: “Preparations for the World Travel Awards Grand Final 2014 are now taking shape, with the Palmerais Golf Palace selected to host the exclusive event.

The Grand Final 2014 will take place in the beautiful city of Marrakech. The city is a pearl polished by history, with a tradition of hospitality which, for centuries, has known how to welcome visitors.

Luxury shops, tearooms and cafés adorn the streets of the ‘red city’ as it effortlessly reconciles its prestigious past with contemporary dynamism. A worthy host of the World Travel Awards Grand Final, Marrakech is a city full of life and enthusiasm. The imperial city of Fez will welcome World Travel Awards for the Grand Final 2015.

The city is considered the capital of traditional Moroccan culture; a cradle of knowledge, for which its superb medersas are a flamboyant symbol. Its UNESCO listed medinas are famous around the globe, forming part of the best-preserved old city in the Arab world.

Peppered with mosques, madrassas and palaces, its trades and crafts have barely changed for centuries, while its heritage nourishes a community of poets, musicians and intellectuals.

Not to be outdone, Casablanca is the hotbed of Moroccan commerce. A thriving port community, it is the largest city in the Maghreb and one of the largest cities in Africa, both economically and demographically.