2023-04-22 12:02:50
En spite of the national and international situation, national tourism is picking up again. The sector recorded, at the end of 2022, 11 million travelers, i.e. a recovery rate of 84% compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic year), while the global level is only 65%. 2023 is therefore shaping up to be auspicious, with the Kingdom having experienced a high influx during the first quarter with the arrival of 2.9 million tourists, i.e. a growth of 17% compared to 2019.
“Everything suggests that this upward trend should continue, if we take into consideration many favorable elements, such as the lifting of all health restrictions, the resumption and availability of air transport and the reference positioning of the Morocco destination. . A strong interest in the Kingdom was noted after the good performance of the national team at the World Cup in Qatar”, underlines Abdellatif Ziani, director of a travel agency in Casablanca.
Indeed, many source markets showed growth during the first three months of the year: Spain (+45%), Great Britain (+28%), Italy (+9%) and the United States (+5 %). “Practically all national tourist destinations have seen a resurgence of interest, but the palme d’or goes to Marrakech. The demand for the ocher city, the flagship product of the national tourist sector, is no longer seasonal at all, but is established throughout the year. We find it very difficult to book for our customers at certain times of the year”.
The 2023 season should be reinforced with the mass arrival of MREs, some of whom were unable to return to the motherland last year. “There were a lot of uncertainties in 2022, the health restrictions had not been completely lifted. The cost of transport, in particular the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar, reached record highs. The economic crisis made financing the trip difficult for some. These obstacles have deterred many MREs from making the trip to Morocco. Currently, the situation has changed. We can expect a massive return, which should start from next June, which coincides with Eid Al-Adha,” explains Ziani.
It should be noted that the sector could not ensure this rapid recovery without the maintenance of hotel accommodation infrastructure and tourist sites and the maintenance of human resources. The State has come to the aid of the operators of the activity thanks to the allocation of a budgetary allocation of 2 billion DH, in addition to the process of promotion and marketing, guarantee of flights to Morocco and the full involvement of professionals and other partners. A real spearhead of the sector, air transport continues to gain momentum. 2023 will be a record year in terms of air programming, with the opening this summer of 35 new lines serving eight Moroccan destinations.
What about domestic tourism?
Domestic tourism has very significant potential which is little or badly invested. With the expansion of the middle class and the development of its purchasing power, the demand for this segment has continued to increase. But customers do not find competitive offers compared to what tour operators offer to foreigners. In coordination with the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT), a study commissioned by the supervising department was carried out in order to work towards the establishment of fundamentals for the sustainable development of internal tourism, by encouraging investment in the tourist product most demanded by Moroccan tourists, and by strengthening the promotion of the national product, in addition to the coordination with the ministry in charge of national education with regard to regional holidays.
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