Tourism: Casablanca starts the year well, Fes and Marrakech activate their emergency plan
3 February 2009
Read by 1612 persons
Marrakech wants to take advantage of the lack of tourists for distant and expensive destinations. Casablanca maintains the increase in arrivals and prepares an offer around medical tourism. Fes hoteliers talk about a mixed start to the year.
All professionals will tell you: 2009 will not be easy for national tourism, after a 2008 year during which Morocco still managed to save the furniture. Indeed, nearly 8 million arrivals were recorded; overnight stays are down, but tourism revenues are maintained at the same level as in 2007.
The year that begins is appreciated in a contrasted way by the professionals. It is in Casablanca where one rejoices the most, because after having finished 2008 with an increase in arrivals and overnight stays of more than 12%, 2009 starts well. In any case, Saïd Mouhid, director of the Regional Tourism Council (CRT), believes that the upward trend will continue. This is all the more true since Casablanca is relatively spared by the phenomenon of accommodation outside classic hotels that is observed in other cities. "Most of the tourists who transit go to hotels, particularly in the 2 and 3 stars which have an interesting occupancy rate." The second reason for satisfaction is that the tourist clientele of the economic capital is diversified in terms of nationalities of origin. Everyone, one can say, finds something to their liking, because the city positions itself on several segments at once: business tourism, shopping, and increasingly medical tourism which today represents a real niche for a certain African clientele. And it is not by chance that communication on the destination increasingly uses this asset. Thus, the CRT of Casablanca has planned for the coming months trips to Dakar in Senegal and Libreville in Gabon with several directors of Casablanca clinics. At the same time, it is preparing a health and well-being guide to promote this niche.
Africa, future emitting market
In Fes, the other destination on the rise during the year 2008 with around 5% for arrivals and overnight stays, there is not so much optimism at the beginning of the year. The situation is rather mixed. "In most hotel establishments, bookings are slightly down at the start of the year, while others are showing an increase in bookings. But, overall, January 2009 is down compared to January 2008," explains Driss Faceh. This, to say, specifies the president of the CRT of Fes, that "we do not yet have great visibility at the moment."
He adds that to save the season which begins on February 20, it is imperative to create interesting packages while relying on large incentive operations that Fes will host this year.
But the spiritual capital also looks towards sub-Saharan Africa. The CRT will present, during the congress of the Federation of Unions of Travel and Tourism Agencies of West and Central Africa (FISAVET/AO) which will be held in Dakar from February 8 to 12, offers which combine tourism and pilgrimage for followers of the Tijani brotherhood. Tanger is less well-off. After a mediocre 2008 (5% decrease in arrivals), this destination does not seem to be recovering. Mustapha Boucetta, president of the city's CRT, estimates the decline at 15% for January. According to him, many groups that were to come from Spain canceled their trip, as the economic crisis is much more felt in this country than elsewhere. For Mr. Boucetta, it is business tourism, favored by all the economic projects, which could save Tangier.
With all this, the president of the CRT does not understand why his city was not included in the priorities of Cap 2009, while it is, he says, "the gateway to Morocco". Hamid Bentahar, the brand new president of the CRT of Marrakech, refuses to make predictions for the ochre city, even if some of his peers say that the first two months are already looking bad. Nevertheless, he affirms that the city's performance was declining well before the current crisis. But he does not want to fall into pessimism, because, he says, Marrakech currently has an interesting window of opportunity. Indeed, the fact that all emitting markets are affected by the crisis means that the tourist, instead of distant exotic destinations, increasingly prefers trips with reduced budgets, over a short period and in a nearby country, he explains.
Morocco, particularly Marrakech, can benefit from this situation, provided it plays the game and offers tourists what they expect: short stays at attractive prices but also, and above all, quality.
Posted online on February 10, 2009
lavieeco.com
All professionals will tell you: 2009 will not be easy for national tourism, after a 2008 year during which Morocco still managed to save the furniture. Indeed, nearly 8 million arrivals were recorded; overnight stays are down, but tourism revenues are maintained at the same level as in 2007.
The year that begins is appreciated in a contrasted way by the professionals. It is in Casablanca where one rejoices the most, because after having finished 2008 with an increase in arrivals and overnight stays of more than 12%, 2009 starts well. In any case, Saïd Mouhid, director of the Regional Tourism Council (CRT), believes that the upward trend will continue. This is all the more true since Casablanca is relatively spared by the phenomenon of accommodation outside classic hotels that is observed in other cities. "Most of the tourists who transit go to hotels, particularly in the 2 and 3 stars which have an interesting occupancy rate." The second reason for satisfaction is that the tourist clientele of the economic capital is diversified in terms of nationalities of origin. Everyone, one can say, finds something to their liking, because the city positions itself on several segments at once: business tourism, shopping, and increasingly medical tourism which today represents a real niche for a certain African clientele. And it is not by chance that communication on the destination increasingly uses this asset. Thus, the CRT of Casablanca has planned for the coming months trips to Dakar in Senegal and Libreville in Gabon with several directors of Casablanca clinics. At the same time, it is preparing a health and well-being guide to promote this niche.
Africa, future emitting market
In Fes, the other destination on the rise during the year 2008 with around 5% for arrivals and overnight stays, there is not so much optimism at the beginning of the year. The situation is rather mixed. "In most hotel establishments, bookings are slightly down at the start of the year, while others are showing an increase in bookings. But, overall, January 2009 is down compared to January 2008," explains Driss Faceh. This, to say, specifies the president of the CRT of Fes, that "we do not yet have great visibility at the moment."
He adds that to save the season which begins on February 20, it is imperative to create interesting packages while relying on large incentive operations that Fes will host this year.
But the spiritual capital also looks towards sub-Saharan Africa. The CRT will present, during the congress of the Federation of Unions of Travel and Tourism Agencies of West and Central Africa (FISAVET/AO) which will be held in Dakar from February 8 to 12, offers which combine tourism and pilgrimage for followers of the Tijani brotherhood. Tanger is less well-off. After a mediocre 2008 (5% decrease in arrivals), this destination does not seem to be recovering. Mustapha Boucetta, president of the city's CRT, estimates the decline at 15% for January. According to him, many groups that were to come from Spain canceled their trip, as the economic crisis is much more felt in this country than elsewhere. For Mr. Boucetta, it is business tourism, favored by all the economic projects, which could save Tangier.
With all this, the president of the CRT does not understand why his city was not included in the priorities of Cap 2009, while it is, he says, "the gateway to Morocco". Hamid Bentahar, the brand new president of the CRT of Marrakech, refuses to make predictions for the ochre city, even if some of his peers say that the first two months are already looking bad. Nevertheless, he affirms that the city's performance was declining well before the current crisis. But he does not want to fall into pessimism, because, he says, Marrakech currently has an interesting window of opportunity. Indeed, the fact that all emitting markets are affected by the crisis means that the tourist, instead of distant exotic destinations, increasingly prefers trips with reduced budgets, over a short period and in a nearby country, he explains.
Morocco, particularly Marrakech, can benefit from this situation, provided it plays the game and offers tourists what they expect: short stays at attractive prices but also, and above all, quality.
Posted online on February 10, 2009
lavieeco.com
