Tourism… The 2010 Vision.

Morocco aims to attract 10 million tourists in 2010. This is in accordance with the 10-years strategy in the field of tourism which was set up by the end of 2001 after the signature of the framework agreement between  the government officials and those who act in the field. The influence of the international changes on tourism across the world has not deter the determination of the institutions that administer the sector or its professionals to keep going to realize the 10-years strategy. For this reason, the Ministry of tourism, in cooperation with the professionals, has set up major workshops to implement this strategy. In fact, it started to implement some of its plans, while other workshops still under construction. These workshops concern the fields of energy, epidemics, formation, aerial transport, marketing, real estate revitalization and the institutional system of the sector of tourism. These workshops enable the search for methods to realize the established plans to win the established strategy of 2010 which aims at creating a residential capacity of more than 200.000 bed.

10 million tourists in 2010

In the framework of the new vision of the strategy of tourism, Morocco tries to broadcast its varied product and move towards mountain, environmental, and cultural tourism which have been marginalized in comparison with the South (Marrakech, Warzazat, Arfoud, and Zagoura)and Coast (Agadir, Souira, and Casablanca). Indeed, these regions have attracted the attention of both the clients and the investors be they national or international.

Besides the determination to increase the residential capacity, the established plan to attract 10 million tourists in 2010 include a reconstruction of the institution in charge of the revitalization of tourism through concentrating the activities of the National Tourist Office on this plan and increasing the budget allocated to the revitalization of tourism. Accordingly,  a sum of 350 million dirham was allocated to this Office in 2004, while in 2003 it was only 250 million only. That was in accordance with the implementation of the obligations that the government assumed in its framework agreement with the professionals of tourism.

In this respect, a piece of land owned by the State was put at the disposal of the revivers of tourism, especially in Marrakech. Moreover, a number of hotels were repaired through setting up a new method on the basis of common financing which guaranteed by Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development and some other banks.          

The Blue Plan … Important steps towards the revitalization of tourism

In addition to the above mentioned plans, a preparation of six stations for tourism has been programmed. These stations are included in ‘Azur Plan’ which is known by the ‘Blue Plan of Tourism’ (Essaidia, Barhan, Khmis Sahal, Elhawza, Eljadida Mougadour, Souira, Tagazout in Agadir, and Achatie Al-Abyad in Galmim). The State will finance the outside infra-structures through Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development, while the private sector will finance the supe-rstructures.

The procedure of the implementation of this national plan centers on conducting studies on the use of preparing these new stations of tourism and executing the preparation by professionals in the field of tourism chosen on the basis of a request of proposals and in accordance with the provisions of the scope statement.

In fact, it is clear that the ministry of Tourism has succeeded to make important steps towards the implementation of this plan. Many accords were signed with foreign investors who will be in charge of the stations of Taghazout, Essaidia, Mougadour, etc. It seems that some workshops which are established to execute the 10-years strategy in the field of tourism have reached maturity, and many of its were realized. Moreover, many strategies have been adopted which aim primarily at reinforcing the general infra-structures and giving more importance to the methods of formation and marketing of tourism products. Interior investments are also encouraged to be in complementarity with foreign investments so as to realize the 10-years strategy.        

   Besides encouraging interior investments in this sector, a profound study was conducted by the ministry of Tourism to encourage interior tourism, because we cannot plan to attract only foreign tourists only with paying attention to the Moroccan ones.