The richness and potential of the oasis heritage will be highlighted by participants in round tables and conferences, initiated on the occasion of the International Forum on Sustainable Tourism and Local Development.

One of the highlights of this event will be the first round table, which will take place on 29 March under the theme "The potential for sustainable development in the Draa and Maider valleys", and which will see the participation of renowned specialists, such as anthropologist Mohamed Boussalah, director of CERKAS, Aziz Bentaleb, researcher at IRCAM, and Antoine Bouillon, director of a guesthouse. Moderation will be provided by researcher and local development specialist Lkebir Ouhajjou.

Participants will thus be able to debate the various opportunities for sustainable development in the region, its intellectual characteristics, the role of natural and cultural heritage in development, advanced regionalisation, and the role of local authorities, a key link in sustainable development at the local level.

This facet of the forum will be provided by a panel of experts from various cities in the Kingdom, several national and foreign universities (France, Canada, Switzerland...), and researchers and national and international scientific institutions.

Multidisciplinary, the approach requires the presence of several institutions, including the Ministry of Tourism, the National Human Rights Council, the SMD Regional Council, the CRI – Agadir, Ibn Zohr, the Regional Tourism Council - Agadir Souss-Massa, the Centre for Studies and Research on Sustainable Development, and Universiapolis International University of Agadir.

Furthermore, participants will be able to enjoy moments of escape and discovery of a natural treasure (palm groves, oases, Kasbahs, engravings...), but also an ancestral anthropological potential. Those wishing to register can do so via the website: www.forum-itd.com

Through this forum, local stakeholders are committed to progressing continuously, by simultaneously and collectively evaluating the impact of their activities and decisions with regard to each of the four areas that define sustainable tourism, namely environmental preservation, social equity, economic efficiency, and governance and involvement in the territory.

The partners, namely the Wilaya of Souss-Massa-Draa, the province of Zagora, the urban commune of Zagora, the Provincial Tourism Council (CPT), the ADEDRA Association, and the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Zones and the Argan Tree, thus intend to offer the local population the opportunity to strengthen their skills and improve their techniques, through their involvement in the various phases of this project and the creation of a common synergy.

The cultural agenda of the International Forum on Sustainable Tourism and Local Development includes the organisation of a round table on the theme: "The intellectual and civilisational characteristics of the Draa Valley and the challenges of their preservation".

Chaired by the young writer Abdelaziz Errachidi, this round table will shed light on the anthropological heritage of the region, including a millennial popular culture, rich in traditions, customs, and popular arts.

Enthusiasts of rock engravings, culinary art, ancestral lifestyles, popular arts, and their symbolism will be able to follow presentations by researchers and academics, such as Abdelkarim Alfazani, Mohamed Al Bouzidi, Mustapha Eddafali, Idriss Ennakouri, Maherzi Khalifa, and Philippe Voisenet, vice-president of Tourism Without Borders – France.

"People must immerse themselves in the deep culture of their region in order to establish it as an adjuvant factor in favour of development," asserts Nasser Bouqssim, commissioner of this forum, initiated under the banner "For another tourism development".

The cultural programme also includes the organisation of an artistic and literary competition dedicated to young talents in the region. An initiative that will allow budding writers and creators to express themselves and compete in creativity.

This event is part of efforts aimed at establishing a solidarity-based, ecological, and rural tourism culture, carrying hopes for integrated local development for the benefit of local populations. The partners, namely the Wilaya of Souss-Massa-Draa, the province of Zagora, the urban commune of Zagora, the Provincial Tourism Council (CPT), the ADEDRA Association, and the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Zones and the Argan Tree, thus intend to offer the local population the opportunity to strengthen their skills and improve their techniques, through their involvement in the various phases of this project and the creation of a common synergy.

The International Forum on Sustainable Tourism and Local Development will be punctuated by a rich and varied programme. Former Moroccan international players will perform on this occasion, as part of a match opposing them to former players from this city in the south-east of the country.

The local public will thus have the opportunity to appreciate the former stars of the national team, such as Noureddine Naybet, Mustapha Hadji, Salaheddine Bassir, Mustapha Chippo, Abdelhak Benabicha... who had enchanted the Moroccan public in 1998.

The sports programme of this event also includes an international road race (10 km), which will see the participation of renowned athletes belonging, besides Morocco, to several countries including France, the United States, Germany, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. This race will also be marked by the presence of the Moroccan and international champion Nezha Bidouane.

Local youth will, in turn, have the opportunity to participate in an inter-communal football tournament. A way to encourage local energies to give the best of themselves and contribute to the development of sport in this beautiful palm grove. "Organising such meetings aims first to bring the sports public closer to their idols, but also to consolidate the spirit of synergy between the different communes," indicates Nasser Bouqssim, commissioner of this Forum.

The International Forum on Sustainable Tourism and Local Development will see the organisation of an idea competition for young project leaders. This initiative aims to promote and foster the entrepreneurial spirit of the region's populations.

Thus, a selection committee, made up of regional financing funds and administrations having a direct relationship with investment, proceeded to the selection of innovative and value-added projects in the field of sustainable tourism, and throughout the Souss-Massa-Draa region. The ambition is to help the leaders of these projects to actually concretise their businesses and identify the appropriate financing lines.

The competition consists of rewarding the best sustainable project ideas, whether they are in the study phase or already realised. The goal is to promote entrepreneurial initiatives of a sustainable nature among local inhabitants and to challenge them on local opportunities.

The objective of this initiative is to foster the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises and contribute to employment in the region. It should be noted that an important support mechanism for business creation is in place in the Souss-Massa-Draa region.

During a 1st session, the selection and orientation committee proceeds on a case-by-case basis and according to the progress of the project idea to evaluate its potential, the degree of innovation and sustainability of this project, and the motivation and quality of its leader. The members of this committee also take stock of the adequacy between the project leader and their idea and help young people to potentially reframe the idea and structure the entrepreneurial approach. At the end of the 1st session, the selected candidates will be accompanied by a technical assistance group to develop a framework for structuring their ideas.

During the 2nd session, candidates present and argue their frameworks and meet the eligibility criteria imposed by the selection committee, to allow it to select, classify, and orient the projects towards the appropriate financing fund, which will ensure the sponsorship and financing of these projects, according to its pre-established criteria. At the end of this event, a distinction for the best project ideas will take place with the presentation of merit trophies.