This important event for the historic city of the Olive Tree in Morocco was organised by the Agro-pole Olivier Meknes and the Association UDOM “Union for the Development of the Olive Tree of Meknes”. It was put under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and included approximately forty events (conferences, forums, exhibitions, specialised workshops, degustations, contests, visits, etc.).

As an official partner, the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation occupied an important place in the celebration. In the official inauguration of this second edition in the Cultural Complex Habous, assisted, among others, Mister Wali of Meknes-Tafilalet Region, the President of the Council of Meknes-Tafilalet Region, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Sea Fishing, the President of the CEO of the International Olive Council, and Mr. G. Karabatos, President of the CCI of Messinia and CEO of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation, who delivered on the occasion a very important speech concerning the new perspectives for development of tourism and promotion of olive products.

The programme of the following days was very rich in activities. The “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation inaugurated successfully an exhibition entitled “Routes of the Olive Tree: an itinerary for intercultural dialogue and development of international cooperation” in the central esplanade of the Celebration. At the same time, during these two days it animated an exhibition stand for the promotion of olive products sold at the boutique “The Routes of the OLIVE TREE SHOP”.

In the center of meetings and discussions that took place in the Cultural Center of the Habous. In this regard, a Round Table was organised around the theme “the Routes of the Olive Tree as an innovative proposition of sustainable development for olive growing regions”, with the participation of the scientific collaborators of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” M. Katsilieri, A. Guittard, E. De Laubrie and El. Chatzinikolaou, as well as members of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” network from many Mediterranean countries. Their presentations analysed cultural tourism and cultural itineraries as a new promising form of thematic tourism.

This round table and generally the edition in its total reinforced the  “Routes of the Olive Tree” network, in a level of institutions as well as partnerships, both with the big international official olive oil organisations, and also with regional representations and Euromediterranean initiatives from Morocco, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Syria and Tunisia.

This edition was also the occasion for renewing the friendship and strong partnerships binding the Foundation and the Agro-Pole Olivier of Meknes, who have recently undertaken the creation and concept of a local cultural itinerary “Routes of the Olive Tree” in the region of Meknes-Tafilalet. Since the creation of the “Routes of the Olive Tree” in 1998, Morocco occupies a special place in the cultural itineraries and the cooperation network realised by the Foundation. The olive growing regions are privileged spaces of exchange and understanding with what unites all people in the Mediterranean to the “millenary civilisation of the olive tree”.

The Agro-Pole Olivier, directed by Dr. Noureddine Ouazzani, co-initiator and coorganisator of the “Celebration of the Olive Tree in Meknes” and the Cultural Foundation took the opportunity to seal their high level of collaboration and materialise their work, by signing an agreement of tripartite partnership. This agreement also marked a new membership in the “Routes of the Olive Tree” network, in the person of M. Brahim Zniber, president of the Association UDOM (“Union for the Development of the Olive Tree in Meknes”).

During this great Celebration of the Olive Tree, the Foundation also wished to develop its initiative for youngsters and children by setting up a creative workshop for children, where numerous children of the city of Meknes participated enthusiastically and a class of the School Notre-Dame of Meknes were invited, joining the “Little Friends of the Olive Tree”.

The Second Edition of the Celebration of the Olive Tree in Meknes was characterised by successful meetings and exchanges, and allowed the “Routes of the Olive Tree” Foundation to point out the wide range of its reflections, its activities and its network; elements that make it an important value of the olive tree landscape in the Mediterranean.

The Platform of Delphi for the Cultural Routes to the second Forum, invited representatives of European and international bodies such as the Council of Europe, the European Commission, European Parliament, the Committee of Regions of the EU, Unesco, the ICOMOS, the World Trade Organization of Tourism, members of the Euro parliament and representatives of the Ministries of Culture in Europe, to present their current positions on cultural routes and cultural tourism in Europe.

During the works  were  examined the problems and new ways of management and financing of cultural routes and the economic models to promote the destination “Europe” together with representatives of the private sector.

On the first day of the Forum,the Executive Director of the Cultural Organization “The Routes of the Olive Tree”, Mr. George Karabatos participated with an extensive presentation and having as theme “The Routes of the Olive Tree ‘, a tool for sustainable development olive oil producing areas of the Mediterranean.

On the second day at the  three round-tables  were discussed the modern  tools and tourist products of cultural routes and forms of tourism that respect local communities and their cultural identity, taking into account the culture and the values of material  and intangible cultural heritage of each crossing region with  the diversity that characterizes it.