Like many of its neighbors, Morocco has a long-term tourism development strategy and has recently highlighted its flexibility by introducing a new program to follow its current tourism plan, called “Vision 2010.” That plan, kicked off in 2001 to chart development over 10 years, has been largely successful, but is nearing its conclusion. Now, the government has launched “Cap 2009” to retool the sector’s objectives and pump cash into the market in preparation for the upcoming launch of the “Vision 2020” development program.
Taken together, the two plans aim to boost arrival numbers, upgrade infrastructure and increase the quality of human resources. While Vision 2010 may fall short of its initial target of 10 million tourists by 2010, particularly given current economic conditions, the number of tourists rose 69 percent between 2001 and 2007, and another 7 percent from 2007 to 2008, bringing the total arrivals to almost 8 million. Hotel construction has been keeping pace with the increase and total bed capacity has risen more than 47 percent since the start of the plan.
Given that tourism attracts more investment than any other sector in Morocco and contributes around 6 percent to the economy annually, the government is taking proactive measures to ensure the momentum continues, even during the downturn. With tourist receipts decreasing 3.5 percent, from $7.4 billion in 2007 to $7.1 billion in 2008, Cap 2009 will seek to use Internet marketing to expand the arrivals base beyond the traditional European markets. The program will receive a budget increase of 10 percent ($6.2 million) in 2009 to facilitate expansion into Eastern Europe, Russia, the Gulf and China, among other markets.
Building from the top down
Domestically, Cap 2009 identifies Marrakech, Fez, Casablanca and Agadir as priority regions, which is consistent with the Kingdom’s promotion of high-end cultural and beach tourism. Efforts to target these areas are already included in Vision 2010. The components — Plan Azur, Plan Biladi and Plan Madain — aim to develop resorts, bolster domestic tourism and showcase cultural destinations.
Plan Azur is expected to be the linchpin of the three, as Morocco looks to capture some of the lucrative regional resort market. The plan outlines six new integrated resorts that will require investment of $5.7 billion and will result in the creation of 110,000 beds and 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. While the sun-and-sea model is relatively low-earning and faces serious competition, the government hopes that increased numbers of visitors will compensate for smaller margins of revenue.
Adding infrastructure is the primary goal of Vision 2010, with Vision 2020 expected to focus on human resources and build upon the expanded offerings. When the government launches the program next year, it will be geared towards bringing service quality up to the standard that many international consumers expect. Vision 2020 will also take into consideration requirements for sustainable and responsible tourism, as well as the protection of natural and cultural resources.
To accommodate the continued rise in arrivals, Morocco is working to upgrade its airports. Abdelhanine Benallou, the CEO of the Moroccan National Airports Authority (ONDA) said the objective is to reach a capacity of 32 million passengers by 2012, with current capacity at 23 million. In mid-April, the African Development Bank granted the Kingdom a loan of $334 million to enhance facilities at the Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech and Rabat airports, which handle the bulk of the country’s air traffic. The loan will cover about 75 percent of the $445 million project, with the ONDA covering the remainder of the cost. ONDA is also working with the Moroccan National Tourism Office to reduce bureaucracy and has announced adjustments to airport taxes on chartered flights.
The government’s willingness to make adjustments across the tourism sector underlines the country’s adaptability, particularly during these difficult times. Cap 2009 will expand Morocco’s presence in emerging markets, which should help make up for a decline in arrivals from Western Europe. Meanwhile, targeted Internet marketing and increased bed capacity will develop a solid foundation that will help temper the effects of the recession in the short term, and provide the necessary framework for future growth under Vision 2020.
Morocco seeks to upgrade its airport capacity to 32 million passengers per year