The 1st regional meeting of oases which was held recently in Tata brought together several experts who, during the various conferences and round tables organised for the occasion, agreed on the opportunity to initiate a geo-tourism that would encompass the oasis zones from Zagora to Tata, in a first phase.

This is how the CRT of Guelmim-Smara and the Provincial Tourism Council of Zagora decided to combine their efforts to allow the birth of this geo-tourism which, over time, the organisers think, will encompass all the oasis zones of Southern Morocco.

This initiative, Patrick Simon, vice-president of the CRT of Guelmim-Smara, affirmed to us, encouraged by the local authorities of Tata, was born following research work carried out by Profs. Fadli and Al Youssi, from the Mohammed V Faculty of Sciences of Rabat-Agdal. This work, which made it possible to define eight geological sites, including two in the province of Zagora and six in the province of Tata, will be reinforced by the publication of a book by these two teachers at the beginning of 2013.

This initiative to create geo-tourism will allow for sustainable development of the region. Thus, the CRT of Guelmim-Smara has decided to trace a new tourist circuit, interregional between Zagora and Tata, mentioning these new data which will fully convince geologists from all over the world and which will be disseminated at the end of 2012 in a new tourist guide entitled "The good plans of the Guelmim-Smara region 2012-2013" on the one hand and via the region's portal www.portailsudmaroc.com, on the other hand.

These new data, the decision-makers of the CRT think, can only contribute to the development and valorisation of already recognised tourist assets.

This partnership between the CRT of the Guelmim-Smara region, the Moussem Ikabarn Tata Association, Andzoa, the Faculty of Sciences of Rabat-Agdal, and the CPT of Zagora, will allow defining and consolidating the bases of an initiative aimed at the registration of a "Tata-Zagora Anti-Atlas Geo Park" with UNESCO, which will be, according to the project designers, likely to attract geologists from all over the world.

The first eight geological sites that will be valorised and exploited in the near future are "The Eye of Zitri", the "Tadakoust Site", the "Imitek Karst", the "Desert Siren", the "Irons", "The Hearts of Akka", "Natural Micro Architecture", and "The Medusa of Masmouda". They will be immediately integrated into various interregional tourist circuits which will have to highlight the complementary potentialities to the historical, cultural, archaeological, and geological niches with those of natural, environmental, oasis, and hiking tourism for these southern provinces which, strong in their contributions and assets, whether cultural, folkloric, artisanal, sporting, or oasis, will contribute to sustainable development.

Associated with the initiative of the CRT of the Guelmim-Smara region to initiate an identity and cultural tourism for this part of the southern provinces, but also with that of the "creation of a regional park and the Tata nature reserve" in addition to the relaunch of the "Iriki National Park" project, these actions should make it possible to promote "differently" an integrated, perfectly adapted tourism, generator of new sources of tourist and scientific overnight stays and creator of jobs.