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Morocco Tourism Report 2011
Business Monitor International, Nov 2010, Pages: 33
Morocco Tourism Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, tourism associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Morocco's tourism industry.
An Upbeat Outlook
In 2009, 8.34mn tourists visited Morocco, an increase of 6% year on year (y-o-y), according the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. This result was stronger than BMI had anticipated and underlines the continued attractiveness of Morocco as a tourism destination.
In 2010, about 5.6mn tourists visited Morocco over the January-July period, an increase of 10% y-o-y. Against this backdrop, it is clear that Morocco’s tourism market is experiencing strong growth, a trend we expect to continue over our newly extended forecast period to 2015. We estimate 10% growth in visitor arrivals to 9.21mn visitors in 2010.
Supporting Moroccan tourism are the national Vision 2020 strategy, following on from Vision 2010, and the Plan Azur resort development programme. Although we believe Morocco will fall just short of attracting the 10mn tourists it aimed for with Vision 2010, it should be applauded for its ambitious targets, which have done much to boost tourism over the past decade.
By the end of our forecast period in 2015, we believe Morocco can be welcoming over 13mn tourists and earning over US$10.7bn in annual tourism revenues.
Morocco In Third Place For The Region
BMI’s updated tourism ratings for 2011 put Morocco in third place in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, with a score of 51 out of 100. The country’s tourism market has performed strongly in recent years, even against the backdrop of a global economic crisis. Market and country risks are low by regional standards, while the Plan Azur developments should ensure continued growth in the Moroccan tourism industry over the forecast period.
The only area where the country scores slightly poorly is in the Country Structure component. However, Morocco is taking great strides to improve its tourism infrastructure and we expect this to improve in the coming years.
Long-Term Potential
Foreign investment has flooded into Morocco’s tourism sector in recent years. Many international hotel chains continue to build new resorts across the country and the development of the Mediterranean coast should prove a particular draw to investors wishing to gain exposure in the tourism and property sectors. Foreign airlines are adding new routes to the country and the strong priority given to tourism by the government is another supportive factor.
Some golf and beach properties under construction in Morocco rival those in nearby Spain but cost much less to purchase. Morocco’s proximity to Europe – with flight times from the UK to the Mediterranean coast of about three hours on low-cost carriers – and its reputation as a fairly progressive and democratic Islamic nation are pluses for investors considering Moroccan tourism.
Taking into account the country’s high level of literacy and the government’s commitment to improving training standards across the hospitality industry, BMI believes all the ingredients are there for Morocco’s tourism industry to continue to make great strides in the years to come.
Looking To Attract UK And Irish Travellers
In October 2010, the official news agency, Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), reported that Morocco’s Tourist Office has launched a new marketing campaign in the UK and Ireland. This comes after the number of UK citizens visiting Morocco fell by 9%, to 252,945 tourists, in 2009. The new campaign is aimed at highlighting Morocco as a winter sun destination, as well as highlighting the cultural tourism offered in Marrakech.
All Eyes On Vision 2020
With 2010 marking the end of Morocco’s Vision 2010 tourism strategy, attention is turning towards the country’s plans for the next decade. The details of this strategy were not available at the time of writing, however, reports suggest that it will focus on sustainable development and maintaining Morocco’s position as a low-cost luxury destination for European travellers.
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