Moroccan government encourages residential tourism
The Moroccan government recently set aside US$37.3 million to invest in the tourism sector. The agreement which was signed in Rabat, between the government and the National Tourism Federation and. The plans are to spend the money to increase the number of travelers to Morocco as well as to invest in new resorts and transportation links.
Tourism Minister Mohammed Boussaid said s it is inappropriate to talk of a crisis, stating that the industry has performed well in light of the extent of the world crisis. He said tourist arrivals rose by 10 percent in the first four months of 2009, saying the same upward trend, went on during the month of May with 11 percent.
According to official figures released by the ministry of tourism, at the end of April, the room occupancy rate was down to 41%, compared with 44% a year earlier. The number of overnight stays in rated hotel accommodation was down 3% over the first four months of 2009, compared with the same period in 2008.
However, the minister explained that the drop in overnight stays in hotels also owes to greater choice of accommodation types, quoting a ministry study from April 2009, which showed that 50% of tourists prefer to stay in guesthouses or apartments rather than hotel rooms. The Moroccan government has set up an incentive mechanism to encourage residential tourism as well as support mechanisms to improve investments towards carrying out tourist projects which is expected to boost the holiday rental market.
According to Magharebia.com, Tourism professionals signed an agreement with the government on June 9th to bolster the sector and to undertake new measures to protect the vital sector from the worst effects of the global economic crisis. The specific goal was to increase share in six priority markets (France, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and the Benelux countries) and measures aimed at prospecting new markets. A budget of 300 million dirhams was set aside to promote Morocco as a destination and to develop the provision of air travel for tourists.
Popularity: 13% [?]
