Updated
11th Edition of Morocco’s Tourism Conference Slated for September 29
Photo: Scott Koch
Focus on Building Local Tourism Capabilities
Jean R. AbiNader, MATIC
September 25, 2014
Jean R. AbiNader, Exec. Dir., Moroccan American Trade and Investment Center
The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, in conjunction with key government and private sector stakeholders, will open its 11th Tourism Conference on Monday, September 29. The conference will focus on two major themes: growing the tourist potential throughout Morocco and strategies for attracting investment to promote tourism development.
Minister of Tourism Lahcen Haddad noted that Vision 2020, the national plan for Tourism, aims to make the most of Morocco’s touristic potential and to ensure fair and equitable distribution of tourism wealth throughout the national territory.” He will be joined in the opening session by the Prime Minister, as well as officials from the National Confederation of Tourism, the mayor of Rabat, the Spanish Minister of Industry, Energy, and Tourism, and the General Secretary of the UN World Trade Organization (UNWWTO).
Morocco plans to develop at least eight additional tourism destination areas, each having its own distinctive character and distributed among the coastal, cultural, and ecological attractions of the Kingdom. In developing a comprehensive strategy to guide robust and sustainable development, the conference will discuss how to vary the development according to the unique environment of each site, including needed infrastructure, local regulatory governance to protect the environment and guide growth, and the marketing and logistics conditions that need to be addressed.
Branding Morocco’s Tourism
In surveys that identify perceptions of Morocco, tourism ranks consistently on or near the top, especially in Europe and North America. Vision 2020 seeks to exploit that favorable image by creating even more diverse destinations to appeal to a broader tourist base. Fortunately, with more than a decade of dedicated analysis and development in the tourism sector, Morocco has learned a great deal about what attracts and holds the interests of travelers. Experts from Marrakech and Bilbao, Spain, will share their experiences and make recommendations for enhancing Morocco’s tourism industry. But none of this is possible without sufficient and targeted financing.
Vision 2020’s goal is to make Morocco one of the top 20 destinations worldwide and a model of sustainable development throughout the region. This can only be achieved through a diverse, high-quality tourism industry that makes the most of what Morocco has to offer and provides the services that tourists demand. According to the plan, Morocco will double the current number of hotel beds; provide incentives and programs to direct tourism investment to the target sectors of entertainment, sports, and leisure; add value to the presentation and promotion of Morocco’s cultural and artisanal heritage; and develop the right hospitality infrastructure for each of the new sites.
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