© EuroMed@Change 2013 1 · ecotourism. With 46,000 km of coastline, the number of tourists in the...

Building EuroMed partnerships

This guide is a Doing business toolkit dedicated to

clusters, SMEs, or entrepreneurs interested in

developing business partnerships in the tourism

sector in Morocco. It provides an overview of the

main opportunities available for the private sector, as

well as concrete and useful data to those interested

to go further (contacts, agenda of events, etc.).

ReferencesThe Mediterranean Business Guide, focus

on Tourism in Morocco has been prepared by the

Fondation Sophia Antipolis under the

EuroMed@Change Project, a Preparatory Action

initiated by the European Parliament and

implemented by the European Commission (DG

Enterprise and Industry).

EuroMed@Change proposes new dynamics for SME

and cluster internationalisation between Europe and 4

targeted partner countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt

and Lebanon. It is managed by four organisations

from across Europe (ANIMA Investment network as

Project leader, the European Business Innovation

Centre Network, INNO AG and the Fondation Sophia

Antipolis as partners) and it coordinates with more

than 45 associated regional business, finance and

innovation networks.

Authors

This Business guide has been prepared by Jean-Noël

Durvy, with contributions from Nadège Bouget from

the Fondation Sophia Antipolis. ANIMA Investment

network provided its support for the proofreading

(Manal Tabet), the FDI data (Zoé Luçon, Amina Ziane

Cherif) and the layout (Lauriane Ammouche)

Disclaimer

This publication has been produced with the support

of the European Commission. The contents of this

publication are the sole responsibility of Fondation

Sophia Antipolis and can under no circumstances be

regarded as reflecting the views of the European

Union.

Copyright

© EuroMed@Change May 2013. No part of this

publication may be reproduced without express

authorisation. All rights reserved.

1. Mediterranean overview...............................p.5

2. Market trends and opportunities...................p.6

3. Foreign direct investments..............................p.7

4. Key players.....................................................p.9

5. Recent National policies.................................p.11

6. Selected programmes & initiatives...................p.13

7. Major business events....................................p.14

Table of contents

List of acronyms

ANIMA-MIPO: Mediterranean Foreign Direct

Investments and partnerships announcements

Observatory implemented and managed by

ANIMA

FDI: Foreign Direct Investment

MED10 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan,

Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia,

Turkey.

CAGR: Compound annual growth rate


Mediterranean Overview

A challenging context

Tourism is vital for the economy of most South and

East Mediterranean countries. It accounts for an

essential part of the GDP, and, as a very labour

intensive activity, generates a significant number of

jobs. It also has a strong ripple effect on other

productive sectors such as agriculture, industry and

services.

Mediterranean tourism (Southern Europe included) has

grown from 58 million international arrivals in 1970 to

306 million in 2012 according to the World Tourism

Organization. The Mediterranean is one of the world’s

leading tourism markets with approximately 30% of

international arrivals for more than 40 years.

International tourism generated €4.3 billion of revenue

across the Mediterranean Basin in 1970. In 2011, it

generated €174 billion of revenue, a multiplication by a

factor of 40 compared to 1970.

For the last two decades, the eleven countries of the

Southern Mediterranean (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan,

Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and

Turkey) have recorded the highest growth rate in

inbound world tourism. In the same period, domestic

tourism also increased rapidly. This trend came to an

abrupt halt in early 2011 during the Arab Spring

turmoil, but seems to resume in 2012 and 2013.

Political uncertainty has the potential to impact

negatively on visitors’ perceptions. Swift

implementation of a communications response is crucial

to reassure tourists that the destination is safe,

accessible, ready and able to receive visitors. It is also

important to have a diversified tourism product to cater

to different customer segments and motivations.

Business and MICE tourism act as good support and

buffer to downturns in the leisure tourism segment.

Sustainable tourism

The development of sustainable tourism appears to be

a priority for Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and

Lebanon, in particular with the development of

ecotourism. With 46,000 km of coastline, the number of

tourists in the Mediterranean basin is 80%

concentrated on the coast. Sustainability of

Mediterranean tourism goes through the diversification

of the tourism offer, valuing the Mediterranean

diversity: ecotourism, cultural, urban, rural and

religious tourism. Moreover, since some years now, a

change in customer behaviour has been registered.

Indeed, the increase in number of “short” holidays

favour trips to closer destinations while the emergence

of theme trips (ecotourism) and targeted tourist activity

such as hiking, golf has boosted new forms of tourism

offers. The tourism market is therefore more

segmented and retaining tourists have become a very

difficult task. In order to give a boost to their tourism

industry, the MED countries have therefore to adapt

their products to new customer expectations, work on

their competitive differentiation and identify

development priorities. The new trends for the

development of tourism can enrol into the context of

responsible tourism which is characterised by a respect

for the environment and culture of the people of the

territories, which leads to the need to establish a true

environmental policy: sustainable tourism taking into

account economic, social and environmental impacts.

Health and wellness tourism

Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt have a

great potential for medical and wellness tourism.

Health tourism comprises all travel activities for a wide

range of health and wellbeing purposes such as

healthcare, health assessment, surgery and operation,

plastic surgeries, beauty, healing, cure, rehabilitation,

convalescence, combined with leisure, recreational and

cultural activities at the visited destination. Tunisia is

already well established in this sector aiming for strong

growth, compared to Lebanon and Egypt. Egypt is

considered has a new entrant, will face severe

competition.


Market Trends and Opportunities

An exponential growth

Tourism in Morocco is well developed, with a strong

tourist industry focused on the country's coast, culture,

and history. Morocco has been one of the most politically

stable countries in North Africa, which has allowed

tourism to develop.

Some categories are emerging as key areas for growth.

These include golf and sports tourism in general,

eco-tourism and health and wellness tourism

Sports tourism, a developing niche

Golf tourism is being leveraged as a strong revenue

generator given the profile of this category’s targeted

customers, who are generally high spenders. The natural

environment in Morocco is not only ideal for the

development of large golf courts, but also for sports such

as skiing and trekking in areas such as the Atlas

mountains, which are also interesting areas to exploit.

Health and wellness

Health and wellness tourism is also a growing

niche, fuelled by the rising number of resort and hotel

spas, as well as by the increasing importance of

medical tourism, mainly driven by demand for plastic

surgery. It has grown at a high rate in recent years.

While spas represents the largest niche in this

category, medical tourism saw stronger growth with a

10% current value CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth

rate) over the review period, compared with around

8% for spas. Despite the medical tourism category

being rather underdeveloped, Morocco is gaining some

leverage and reputation in one key area: plastic

surgery. Clinics in the affluent districts of Rabat are the

most popular for this type of medical tourism. The

clientele on the other hand mainly comprises tourists

from the region and Moroccan expatriates who travel

back home to seek medical treatment. Prices in

Morocco are highly competitive, at 20% of the average

prices in Europe and the US. This has started to create

a buzz among international tourists as well in recent

years, as Morocco upgrades its facilities to cater to a

growing number of medical tourists. The health and

wellness category is expected to see a 6% constant

value CAGR over the forecast period, to reach Euro 0.8

billion in 2016, most of which will continue to be

generated by spas. Medical tourism is expected to

grow at a faster rate with a 6% CAGR, slightly higher

than the growth predicted for spas. However, this

niche remains relatively low in value. More promotional

efforts by the government are expected to help boost

medical tourism, and this goes hand-in-hand with a

national vision to improve healthcare services in this

country.

Ecotourism, a relatively new tourist offer

Supported by the authorities through Vision 2020, the

"sustainable tourism" niche is now receiving a great

deal of attention. It aims to put Morocco into the top 20

most popular tourist destinations in the world. With a

programme of contracts signed with the State, eight

regional centres will develop environmentally-friendly

tourism, promoting Morocco's national heritage, nature

sites, and offering activities focused on sports and well-

being. Morocco has been nominated to be the President

of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism in

2013.

Hiking, horse-riding, paragliding, green tourism, crafts,

interaction with the local population, guest houses, etc.

have proved to be very popular with European tourists,

particularly those from France, Germany, Great Britain

and Scandinavian countries. Morocco is also seeing a

growing Russian clientele, which is appreciative of both

luxury and authenticity. This wealthy class of tourists

will choose for example to spend the end-of-year

holidays camping in the middle of the desert, in a five

star setting.

“Sustainable tourism is booming in Morocco,

and is the only sector of the industry that

can claim to be flourishing, with double-

digit growth,…”

Thierry Tarot, CEO of Terres d'Amanar, a nature park

dedicated to ecotourism forty kilometers from

Marrakesh.


Foreign Direct Investments

Between 2005 and 2010, amounts of foreign direct

investments are around € 30 billion over this period

combined. In addition, in 2009, Morocco was the only

Mediterranean countries to have increased more than

6% while the world market decreased by 5%.

Sectoral tourism incentives:

Exemption of import duty preference for all capital

equipment needed for the promotion and

development of the project

VAT exemption for capital goods, machinery and

equipment acquired in Morocco for a period of 24

months from the date of commencement of

business of the company

Exemption from import VAT for a period of 36

months for capital goods, machinery and

equipment acquired on importation.

Total relief of the SI of turnover in foreign

exchange business and hotel for a period of 5

years from the year in which the first

accommodation was made in foreign currencies

and a reduction of 17.5% over this period.

Total exemption from IR to the amount of

turnover in foreign currency by the hotel

companies and for a period of 5 years and a

reduction of 50% over this period.

To remove the constraints on the access to financial

resources, Vision 2020 considers the establishment of

an instrument for national and international investment

mobilization: the Moroccan Fund for Tourism

Development (FMDT). Investment premiums will be

implemented taking into account the level of risk

perceived by investors for each type of product and for

each destination.

To strengthen its commitment in supporting the

implementation of Vision 2020, the banking sector is

willing to mobilize a budget of 24 billion DH.

Aside from commercial banks responsible for financing

the sector, funds for national investments were created

to support the dynamic development of tourist projects.

Some of them are Actif Invest, Madaef, H Partners,

capital T and Saham Hotels.

Moroccan fund for tourism development (FMDT)

Implemented by the State and other public bodies, the

FMDT formalises the proactive engagement of the state

in this sector. It is intended to increase the capital of

FMDT over 10 years from its establishment to EUR 1.34

billion. The FMDT will be able to raise important

national and international funds.

An agreement establishing the "Wessal Capital" Fund

was signed on November 2011, between the FMDT and

"Qatar Holding LLC" (Qatar), "Aabar Investments PJS"

(UAE) and Kuwait Investment Authority "Al Ajial

Investment Fund Holding". The "Wessal Capital" Fund

will help carry out the proactive engagement adopted in

the tourism sector to boost investments supporting the

implementation of major Vision 2020 projects.

Azur Credit line To accompany and accelerate the realization of

strategic projects of the Vision 2020, the Moroccan

banks agree to mobilize an initial budget of EUR 2.2

billion over the period 2011-2016.

“In Morocco, there is economic

development. Extension of airport

infrastructure, fast-growing

infrastructure, political will to make the

country move ahead, variety of

destinations in the country ... all these

are vital assets. Morocco meets several

conditions as a great destination.”

Gilles PELISSON, Accor group

FDI and partnership projects announced in Tourism in Morocco (2003-2012, ANIMA-MIPO)

0

5

10

15

20

25

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Invested amounts (€m) Number of FDI projects

Number of partnerships


Morocco FDI and partnership announcements in Tourism (2003-2013, Source ANIMA-MIPO)

The 10 biggest Tourism FDI announcements since 2003 (source ANIMA-MIPO)

Investor Origin Date Project FDI (€m) Type

Fadesa Spain 2003 Creation of Mediterrania Saidia, a tourist mega-resort with 8 hotels in Saidia

1500 Greenfield

Emaar Properties UAE 2006 Emaar Properties to invest 1.4 billion dollars in a tourist project in Oukaïmeden, Morocco, the only ski resort in Africa

1129.03 Greenfield

Atelier d'Art Urbain

Belgium 2004 Sea resort in Essaouira 1000 Greenfield

Emaar Properties UAE 2006 Emaar Properties and ONA Group develop Bahia Bay, a USD 1.2 billion project, located midway between Casablanca and Rabat

967.74 Brownfield

GFH - Gulf Finance House

Bahraïn 2006 Bahraini Gulf Finance House to build Royal Ranches, a luxury hotel residence in Marrakech

806.45 Greenfield

GFH - Gulf Finance House

Bahraïn 2006 Gulf Finance House to build Royal Resort of Cape Malabata, a luxury hotel residence located near the Straits of Gibraltar, in Tangiers province

483.87 Greenfield

Orascom / Oued Chbika Développement

Egypt 2009 The property developer in 65/35 JV with CDG to launch the construction of the Chbika tourism complex, 50 km south of Tan-Tan

350 Greenfield

Renta / Mixta Africa

Spain 2005 Construction of half a dozen resorts and 2 golf courses on the Atlantic coast for a budget of 370 million euros

340 Greenfield

Urbagolf Spain 2007 The promoter to invest MAD 3.7 billion in a gigantic resort project in Souiria Qdima (Essaouira), creating 2 000 jobs

339.15 Greenfield

Fadesa Spain 2006 Fadesa selected for both Smir et Laguna Smir projects, located in the 'Tamuda Bay' area in Northern Morocco

324 Greenfield

Origin of the FDI announcements in Tourism in Morocco (in number of project, 2003-2012, ANIMA-MIPO)

42

2014

107

22

106 6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

France Spain UAE Kuwait USA Other EU Other

Gulf

MED Other

countries


Key Players

A focus on the Moroccan National Tourist

Office (MNTO)

It is responsible for promoting and marketing Morocco

as a destination within Morocco and abroad.

Mission

The Moroccan National Tourist Office aims to adopt an

expert marketing approach to achieve the objectives

set in the context of the 2010 vision. By ensuring

Morocco's strong positioning as a destination, our

operations have positive results for society, the

preservation of our cultural and environmental

heritage and our country's economy.

Leadership

Its role is to promote cultural and coastal resources,

as well as developing select niche themes which place

Morocco among the sought-after tourist destinations.

Our aim is to stimulate internal tourism and attract

foreign tourists to Morocco through a new policy of

sustainable management of the range of destinations,

with a focus on anticipation and monitoring of

demand. It is also a question of encouraging tourists

to prolong their trip, visit several destinations and

return to the country.

Vision 2020 – Creation of new entities

A high authority for tourism and tourism

development agencies are to be launched in

2013 with broad powers and new projects to boost

destinations and directing the future of Morocco’s

tourism industry. The Ministry of Tourism is looking to

accelerate the pace of development and obtain the

support of the private sector. These new bodies will

decide which new tourism projects will be developed

in a given location. The higher tourism authority will

be composed of several ministers and officials and 8

members of the private sector.

The tourism development agencies will gradually

replace the regional tourism centres. They will be led

by a board of directors from the public and private

sectors and will have extensive powers. The more

mature destinations of Agadir and Marrakech which

represent two thirds of tourism arrivals will be the first

to be affected by the new measures.

Our partnership with Ynna Holding is an

unparalleled opportunity for the development

of Golden Tulip hotels in Morocco. Following

the opening up of the Algerian market in

2012, this new partnership reflects the

growing importance of North Africa in Louvre

Hotels Group’s international development

strategy. It forms part of the more general

approach of strengthening the Group’s

position in this region.” Pierre-Frédéric Roulot, Chairman and CEO of Louvre Hotels

Group

Louvre Hotels Group continues its expansion in Morocco with its Golden Tulip brand (February 2013)

Louvre Hotels Group has announced the signature of a

partnership agreement with the Moroccan Group Ynna

Holding. Running for a renewable 8 year period, this

contract covers the management, operation and

marketing of the Ryad Mogador Hotels Chain, the

tourism and hotel division of Ynna Holding. The twelve

hotels of the Ryad Mogador Chain (3,000 rooms) will

become, thanks to this partnership, “Mogador Hotels by”

Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip, or Royal Tulip depending on

each individual establishment. Thanks to this

partnership, Louvre Hotels Group becomes a first-tier

hotel group in Morocco, with nearly 4,600 rooms and

1,600 others under construction. The agreement allows

the international group to take a major step forward in

its expansion in this key country, and confirms its

international growth strategy: forming alliances with

local companies in order to better understand the local

market.


Government & Governmental organisation

Ministry of Tourism Its mission is to develop and implement government policy on tourism. To this end, it is particularly in charge, to develop, implement and evaluate the strategy of tourism development in coordination with the authorities concerned.

http://www.tourisme.gov.ma

The Strategic Committee of Tourism The Strategic Committee of Tourism gathers the main Government Ministers concerned by tourism (Interior, Economy and Finance, Tourism). Its mission: Ensure the implementation of an unified tourism policy.

Regional Tourism Centre Support and develop the tourism industry in the context of the general economy of the country

List and contacts available on

http://www.tourisme.gov.ma/francais/1-Administration-tourisme/4-PartenairesInstitutionnels/Crt.htm

Institutional Partners

Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT)

SMIT aims to be the initiator of innovative projects and an actor in the field of engineering and tourism development, able to design general and specific studies on supply and tourism demand in Morocco.

http://www.smit.gov.ma

Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO) The MNTO is responsible for promoting and marketing Morocco as a destination within Morocco and abroad.

http://www.visitmorocco.com

Moroccan Investment and Development Agency (MIDA)

MIDA is a financially autonomous public institution, in the form of a legal entity. MIDA is the national body in charge of the development and promotion of investment in Morocco. Its mission is to establish a structure and provide guidance for investors. It also constitutes takes charge cooperating and coordinating promotional activities both in Morocco and abroad.

http://www.invest.gov.ma/

Moroccan Tourism Observatory The main tasks of the Tourism Observatory relate to the collection, processing and publication of all relevant information to the tourism sector, in particular, on the national and international situation, competition, competitiveness destination, investment…

http://www.observatoiredutourisme.ma/

National Federation of Tourism (FNT)

It groups together all occupations related to tourism. FNT consists of 184 full members, consisting FNIH (National Federation of Hotel Industry) FNAVM (National Federation of Moroccan Travel Agencies), STT (Tourist Transporters' Union), FNR (National Federation of Restaurateurs) and FLV (Federation of Car renter).

http://www.fnt.ma/

National Federation of the hotel industry (FNHI)

The National Federation of the Hotel Industry, established in the early sixties, consists of 15 Regional Associations of the Hotel Industry (Arih) and seven hotel chains with more than 1,500 housing units, including 600 guest houses located in different regions of the Moroccan territory.

http://www.fnih.ma/


Recent National Policies

Vision 2010

Vision 2010 was the strategy developed by the

Moroccan government in concert with the private

sector in 2001 to serve as a roadmap for the tourism

sector until the year 2010, and to allow the Moroccan

tourism to compete effectively with other countries,

such as Tunisia or Egypt. The targets of the strategy

included attracting 10 million tourists by 2010,

compared to 4.4 million in 2001, creating 600,000 new

jobs, compared to a total active population in 2006 of

11.3 million (generating 48 billion Euros in revenues

over the 2002-2010 period, compared to annual

revenues in 2001 of less than 3 billion Euros, and

increasing the hosting capacity to 230,000 beds ,

compared to 97,000 in 2001 (Ministry of Tourism of

Morocco). The Moroccan Government’s ambitious

development plans for the country’s industry continued

in 2011, with efforts to implement Vision 2020, and the

legacy of Vision 2010. While Vision 2010 did not realize

all of its objectives, many were attained and have been

revisited under Vision 2020. The government continues

to seek greater investment from abroad to help

complete the projects planned under Vision 2020.

Vision 2020

Vision 2020 is the extension of the national tourism

strategy that started 10 years ago and at that time was

called Vision 2010. Tourism in Morocco had a proactive

strategy launched with several structural measures

being taken over the past years. It was a very serious

and dynamic vision, which allowed Morocco to double

the number of tourists – from 4 million in 2004 to

roughly 10 million in 2010, to triple the income of the

sector, to double the bed capacity in Morocco and to

position tourism today as one of the main economy

sectors in Morocco representing roughly 10% of the

GDP. For Mediterranean countries, 2008-2009 was one

of the most difficult periods in reason of the economic

crisis. While regression was everywhere in the

Mediterranean countries, Morocco was the only country

that recorded a 6% progression, thus proving that it is a

strong and resilient model of betting on the high quality

tourism. An average spending for a tourist in Morocco is

around € 620 while, for example, in Tunisia it is € 195.

Vision 2020 comes to capitalize what has been done

during 2010, but also to learn from the mistakes and

improve. A new dynamic has been projected and a high

ambition: Getting Morocco into the world’s top

twenty destinations. This will be done by tripling the

income of the sector, increasing its GDP shares and, last

but not least, creating employment. The target is to

have more than a million young people working directly

in the tourism sector and 4-5 times more than that

indirectly.

2020 is based on three main principles:

The first one is diversity – thanks to the diversity

of the country: Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara,

the mountains (ski 45 minutes from Marrakech),

the cedar forests, the dunes, the Atlas Mountains.

Morocco offers a big diversity and proximity, as

tourists can move from one place to another

within few hours and completely change the

natural environment.

The second thing is culture and authenticity and

this is what will make Morocco strong and different

as a destination compared to their neighbour

competitors.

The last one is sustainability – it is the heart of

the Moroccan strategy environment, the friendly

approach to the sector. Morocco has virgin

beaches, a lot of virgin forests and the country

aims to capitalize on that. That, again, is another

way of making the destination different from

others around the Mediterranean.

Developing key cities

Morocco is strong in regional tourism promotion for

each of its destinations. Leading cities such as

Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir and Tangiers have their

individual tourism promotion boards in charge of

boosting tourism flows. These cities’ tourism

infrastructure is also constantly being upgraded. Cities

from Casablanca to Fès and Agadir are all undergoing

major changes and improvements. Other cities are also

likely to follow as new plans are laid out for cities such

as Tangiers, Tetouan, Rabat and Ouzararate. Vision

2020 focuses on such regional developments as well


The travel accommodation category in Morocco is still

relatively undersupplied. One of the main targets of

Vision 2010 was to add rooms and beds to this

environment in order to cater to a growing tourism

market, and to address both domestic and

international tourism demand. With the new Vision

2020 initiative aiming to bring more than 18 million

tourists to Morocco, travel accommodation has to

follow. There are a number of new outlets opening

across the Kingdom, with a strong luxury orientation in

the city of Marrakech, which is set to become home to

a Four Seasons, Park Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental.

However, budget hotels are also needed in this

market, and brands such as Accor’s 2-star Etap are

also being developed in Morocco. Plan Azur is also

another development set to bring another 180,000

new beds to the market by end of 2020.

Factors of success – Vision 2020

A major success factor of the Vision 2020, with regard

to various issues that will face (cross sector -

regionalization-sustainability) depends on the ability of

Tourism sector to implement a new governance of the

sector. A High Tourism Authority will be created: it

should be a public-private instance involving regions,

which will be responsible for ensuring the consistency

of national and regional strategies, coordinate, monitor

and evaluate their implementation. To materialize the

integrated management approach of territories, Tourist

Development Agencies will be created in parallel. Their

main missions are to monitor the implementation of

regional roadmaps, develop the attractiveness of

destinations and oversee strategic projects to ensure

their effective implementation. These agencies will

become the single contact point on all matters related

to tourism. They will have all the support, expertise

and skills of national bodies in charge of tourism. This

ambitious strategy will direct investment flows to new

destinations while developing sophisticated new

products. It will require significant national and

international financial resources. The first key measure

is the creation of a Moroccan Fund for Tourism

Development (FMDT) which embodies the proactive

engagement of the state in the sector to stimulate

strong investment to support the implementation of

major projects of Vision 2020. This fund, financed by

the state and the Hassan II Fund for Economic and

Social Development for an envelope of EUR 1.3 billion,

will aim at capitalizing nearly EUR 9 billion, with funds

from friendly countries. The second key measure:

premiums will be put in place to support investment

and towards it emerging or less developed areas.

Finally, the third key measure shows the engagement

of the banking sector: the mobilization of an envelope

of EUR 2.2 billion from banks for projects considered

as strategic in the framework of Vision 2020, including

Azur project, and responding to access conditions in a

pre-defined specifications agreed.

OBJECTIVE IN FIGURES – VISION 2020

Doubling the size of the sector

200 000 new beds

Double touristic arrivals

Triple domestic trips

2nd economic sector

470 000 new direct jobs

Double touristic receipts to reach 140 billon

DHs

To raise Morocco by 2020, to become one

of the world’s top 20 tourist destinations

and a model of sustainability in The

Mediterranean Destinations

THE ‘'MOROCCO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS”

It is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Tourism and

the Moroccan National Office of Tourism.

The ‘'Morocco Responsible Tourism Awards” are designed

to enlist the Moroccan travel industry in sustainable

development by ensuring the preservation of Morocco's

unique assets: its natural environment, population,

values, culture and traditions.

One objective is to recognize and promote tourism

entities that have taken the lead in responsible tourism,

by highlighting their contributions and by encouraging

new endeavors and responsible projects.


Selected Programmes & Initiatives

Six major structural projects, implemented and

funded by the state, regions and the private

sector will be implemented:

Azur 2020 Program, which is the continuation of

the Plan Azur, project that integrated the strategic

Vision 2010 and implemented six new bathing

resorts: Establishment of a considerable Morocco

seaside offer internationally competitive.

Strengthen Morocco seaside resorts on both

Atlantic and Mediterranean shores by completing

the Azur project 2010 and developing new

products in the South (Souss and Sahara).

Program Green / Eco / Sustainability: Valuation of

natural resources and rural areas in respect to

socio-cultural authenticity of host communities.

Developing an additional green/nature range by

means of innovative best-in-class sustainable

development products ‘eco lodges, desert resort,

…)

Heritage and Legacy Program: Promotion of the

Moroccan cultural identity through the structuring

and valuation of tangible and intangible heritage of

the Kingdom together with the construction of

coherent and attractive tourist products. Enhancing

the range of cultural experiences on offer by

making the most of Morocco’s tangible and

intangible heritage: Developing specific

accommodation, reconversion of historical

monuments, building museums, enhancing and

adding value to traditional festivals.

Animation Program, Sport & Leisure: Creating

consistent animation offers, varied and

complementary to the basic tourist infrastructure in

order to consolidate Moroccan tourism and make it

more competitive and attractive to many tourists.

Developing a range of international class cultural

and leisure events to enhance the attractiveness of

tourist destination based on a full programme of

events: leisure cities, thematic parks and resorts…

Niche Program with high added value (or business

and welfare): Strengthening the position of

Morocco as a tourist destination for Business,

welfare and health. Creating infrastructures that

can host major international gatherings and setting

up synergies with sports, well-being, exhibition and

cultural sectors.

Biladi Program, one of the main priorities of Vision

2020 which envisages the creation of seven tourist

resorts dedicated to domestic tourism in the areas

most sought by Moroccan citizens: Strengthening

the tourist offer for natives through a suitable

product that takes account of their habits and

customs.

Seaside offer

Cultural offer

Nature offer


Major Business Events

Morocco Tourism Investment Forum

Sector: Tourism

Organisers: Bench Events and the Moroccan Agency for Tourism

Development

Focus: this event will be a meeting point of tourism industry stake-holders

and investors, focusing on the Moroccan tourism incentives, investment

opportunities, services and products.

Expected Participation: n/a

Next event: 15-16 April 2013, Casablanca (Hyatt Regency)

Information: http://www.morocco-forum.com/

The Africa hotel investment Forum (AHIF)

Sector: Tourism

Number of editions: at least 2 editions

Organiser: Bench Events

Focus: It aims to showcase high-growth destinations across the continent; the

2012 event was a resounding success with over 400 regional and global

delegates.

2012 participation (organisers data): 400 regional and global delegates

Next event: 24-25 September 2013, Nairobi (Intercontinental)

Information: http://www.africa-conference.com/

The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference

Sector: Tourism

Organiser: The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Focus: a unique annual conference focused on the advancement of

sustainability goals for the tourism industry. Offering invaluable learning and

networking opportunities, the ESTC is a leading international meeting place

where innovative minds gather to discuss ideas and solutions that inspire

change.

2012 participation (organisers data):

Next event: 24-27 September 2013, Nairobi

Information: http://www.ecotourismconference.org

http://www.morocco-forum.com/

http://www.ecotourismconference.org/


This guide is a Doing business toolkit dedicated to clusters, SMEs, or entrepreneurs

interested in developing business partnerships in the tourism sector in Morocco. It provides

an overview of the main opportunities available for the private sector, as well as concrete

and useful data to those interested to go further.

It has been prepared by Fondation Sophia Antipolis under the EuroMed@Change Project, a

Preparatory Action initiated by the European Parliament and implemented by the European

Commission (DG Enterprise and Industry).

EuroMed@Change proposes new dynamics for SME and cluster internationalisation

between Europe and 4 targeted partner countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon. It

is managed by four organisations from across Europe (ANIMA Investment network as

Project leader, the European Business Innovation Centre Network, INNO AG and the

Fondation Sophia Antipolis as partners) and it coordinates with more than 45 associated

regional business, finance and innovation networks.

© EuroMed@Change 2013 1 · ecotourism. With 46,000 km of coastline, the number of tourists in the...

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