Fez: Boom in Tourism Investment
10 March 2006
Read by 2983 persons
• Nearly 600 million DH invested in just three months
• Guesthouses: Fez following in Marrakech's footsteps
Three months after its signing, this Regional Tourism Development Plan (PDRT) is already beginning to have its first concrete applications in Fez. Projects are flourishing. In just one quarter, the city has attracted nearly 600 million DH in investment, more than a third of the 2005-2015 forecast of 3 billion DH.
Indeed, after the launch of Henri Leconte's International Tennis Academy project last month (see www.leconomiste.com), several operators are now prospecting the spiritual capital. French, Italian, Dutch, Emirati, and other investors are arriving daily at Fez-Saïss airport. The city authorities are now committed to receiving any promising project. Often the agreement is signed the same day, and all authorizations are delivered in record time. Label Vie, shopping malls, a second Acima supermarket, hotels, call centers... The Regional Investment Center (CRI) has never recorded so much activity.
Fouad Ouzzine, director of the Center, does not hide his pride. "It's a real challenge for us. The city has the means to compete with pioneering cities in the tourism sector and attract international groups," he emphasizes.
Among the projects discussed by the investment committee is the international fair. The investment is 200 million DH. Its promoter has rented a municipal plot of land covering 15 hectares, at a very encouraging price (400,000 DH per year for 50 years). Located near the new tourist area of Oued Fès, the future international fair of Fez will include, in addition to exhibition halls, a 1,200-seat congress center, a business center, a hotel, and a leisure park.
Another major real estate project: the "Villas Beau Soleil." This involves building 50 villas for the elderly and developing green spaces. "In addition to accommodation, residents of these villas will be entitled to professional assistance and high-end hotel services," explains Driss Faceh, president of the CRT. This boom in tourism investment is felt throughout the city, including in the medina, where intermediaries have made a fortune.
• Three challenges
Guesthouses, which could be counted on the fingers of one hand a few months ago, have increased to nearly 250. Every day, French, Spanish, British, and Dutch developers arrive. The enthusiasm is primarily for riads, whose prices range from 1 to 15 million DH. Three other challenges must be addressed.
First, strengthening bed capacity. This objective has already been achieved in the medina with nearly 1,000 beds. Then strengthening promotional operations. This is what the ONMT and the Ministry of Tourism are working on. At this level, an initial measure involved co-marketing contracts with tour operators and the Ministry of Tourism. One of the axes of the ONMT's new promotional strategy for this year is strengthening Fez's presence in priority markets. According to Faceh, the tourist office is committed to allocating a total promotional budget of 413 million DH to the destination over the 2005-2015 period.
Within the budget defined annually (53 million DH for 2006), an envelope of 4 million DH will be allocated each year to the "Esprit de Fès" Foundation, which is responsible for managing all festivals and events contributing to the promotion of the destination.
Finally, the third challenge is strengthening transport capacity, particularly air transport. This is planned through an increase in the number of seats. The aim is to increase the number of seats from the current 132,000 to 543,000 by 2015. Two new routes with Madrid and Barcelona have already been announced. "The open skies agreement with the European Union has been favorable for the launch of these two future lines," specifies Faceh.
www.leconomiste.com
Edition n° 2225 of March 2, 2006
• Guesthouses: Fez following in Marrakech's footsteps
Three months after its signing, this Regional Tourism Development Plan (PDRT) is already beginning to have its first concrete applications in Fez. Projects are flourishing. In just one quarter, the city has attracted nearly 600 million DH in investment, more than a third of the 2005-2015 forecast of 3 billion DH.
Indeed, after the launch of Henri Leconte's International Tennis Academy project last month (see www.leconomiste.com), several operators are now prospecting the spiritual capital. French, Italian, Dutch, Emirati, and other investors are arriving daily at Fez-Saïss airport. The city authorities are now committed to receiving any promising project. Often the agreement is signed the same day, and all authorizations are delivered in record time. Label Vie, shopping malls, a second Acima supermarket, hotels, call centers... The Regional Investment Center (CRI) has never recorded so much activity.
Fouad Ouzzine, director of the Center, does not hide his pride. "It's a real challenge for us. The city has the means to compete with pioneering cities in the tourism sector and attract international groups," he emphasizes.
Among the projects discussed by the investment committee is the international fair. The investment is 200 million DH. Its promoter has rented a municipal plot of land covering 15 hectares, at a very encouraging price (400,000 DH per year for 50 years). Located near the new tourist area of Oued Fès, the future international fair of Fez will include, in addition to exhibition halls, a 1,200-seat congress center, a business center, a hotel, and a leisure park.
Another major real estate project: the "Villas Beau Soleil." This involves building 50 villas for the elderly and developing green spaces. "In addition to accommodation, residents of these villas will be entitled to professional assistance and high-end hotel services," explains Driss Faceh, president of the CRT. This boom in tourism investment is felt throughout the city, including in the medina, where intermediaries have made a fortune.
• Three challenges
Guesthouses, which could be counted on the fingers of one hand a few months ago, have increased to nearly 250. Every day, French, Spanish, British, and Dutch developers arrive. The enthusiasm is primarily for riads, whose prices range from 1 to 15 million DH. Three other challenges must be addressed.
First, strengthening bed capacity. This objective has already been achieved in the medina with nearly 1,000 beds. Then strengthening promotional operations. This is what the ONMT and the Ministry of Tourism are working on. At this level, an initial measure involved co-marketing contracts with tour operators and the Ministry of Tourism. One of the axes of the ONMT's new promotional strategy for this year is strengthening Fez's presence in priority markets. According to Faceh, the tourist office is committed to allocating a total promotional budget of 413 million DH to the destination over the 2005-2015 period.
Within the budget defined annually (53 million DH for 2006), an envelope of 4 million DH will be allocated each year to the "Esprit de Fès" Foundation, which is responsible for managing all festivals and events contributing to the promotion of the destination.
Finally, the third challenge is strengthening transport capacity, particularly air transport. This is planned through an increase in the number of seats. The aim is to increase the number of seats from the current 132,000 to 543,000 by 2015. Two new routes with Madrid and Barcelona have already been announced. "The open skies agreement with the European Union has been favorable for the launch of these two future lines," specifies Faceh.
www.leconomiste.com
Edition n° 2225 of March 2, 2006
