AS PART of the focus on ‘Unlocking Investment Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa’ at AHIC 2010, the Country Panel looked at tourism and hotel investment in Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
Morocco was represented by Yassir Zenagui, who was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Handicraft in January 2010.
Tourism plays an important role in Morocco, according to a report in March 2009 by the World Travel & Tourism Council, in 2009 the travel and tourism sector was expected to generate $14.64 billion (MAD118 billion) of economic activity, equivalent to 16.2 per cent of total gross domestic product.
According to Zenagui: “Morocco was not as exposed to the financial crisis as the rest of the world. While some investors have pulled out, a lot of development is still underway.”
Total visitor numbers grew to 8.35 million in 2009, according to government figures, whilst the Jones Lang LaSalle Hotel Investment Outlook 2010 highlighted Morocco as one of the ‘hottest markets’ for 2010.
“Post 2009, we are planning strategically and want to improve the quality of our tourism product to ensure a better quality of tourists and with more spending power, ” said Zenagui.
“In 2010 we are aiming to realise growth of 10 per cent in tourist numbers and we have a strategy in place to ensure this growth is not achieved at the expense of profitability.”
One of the key factors in achieving that growth would be to increase airline access to the country, especially from the European markets.
As part of Morocco’s Vision 2010 programme, which was launched in January, the country has set a target of target of 10 million visitors for this year and the creation of 600,000 new jobs.
In 2010, Morocco will have more than 100,000 hotel beds . Under Plan Azur six new seaside resorts will provide a total of more than 40,000 hotel beds.
Besides this projects under development include the Plage Blanche, Guelmim, the Mediterranean Saidia – to be launched on the Mediterranean coast, Port Lixus, Larache, which will feature two 18-hole golf courses designed by the Spaniard Enrique Saenger along with four and five-star hotels, the Mogador, Essaouira development, which will measure in the region of 5,700,000 sq m and will feature two Gary Player golf courses, and the Mazagan, El Jadida project being spearheaded by Kerzner group.
Several other prestigious projects are also being launched in a partnership with major hotel operators such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Banyan Tree, Oberoi, One & Only etc in Marrakech and Tamuda Bay, in the North of the kingdom.