Dear Friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening.

Tonight, the magnificent Sofitel Rabat Jardin Des Roses Hotel is illuminated with glittering lights. On behalf of WTCF, let me welcome and thank all the delegates and guests for coming to the dinner tonight. Confucius said, “What a delight it is to have friends coming from afar.” In this lovely evening of autumn breeze and floral fragrance, we are happy to meet with friends from all around the world. I see in the audience both familiar faces and new friends. It is the shared vision of Better City Life through Tourism that brings us together.

The upcoming Rabat & Fez Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2015 is the first WTCF Summit held in Africa. The presence of so many participants, guests and journalist at today’s Summit is a sign of your endorsement of the work of WTCF and support for tourism development in Africa and beyond. Morocco and the Moroccan National Tourist Office have made a competitive bid for hosting the Summit. The relevant departments of Rabat and Fez have also put tremendous efforts into preparing for the Summit. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of them. Meanwhile, I believe the Summit will be a good place for us to renew friendship and seek new progress in the international tourism industry. With your active support and participation, I’m sure the Summit will produce fruitful outcomes.

Now, I wish to propose a toast,

to this lovely evening,

to the success of the Summit,

to the hospitality of the Moroccan National Tourist Office and the city of Rabat, and

to all our guests and friends,

Cheers!