More than 9m tourists are expected in 2010, 6% higher than in 2009 but below a target of 10 million set before the global financial crisis, Yassir Zenagui, the tourism minister, told reporters in the northern city of Tetouan on September 2. In the seven months leading up to July some 5.6m visitors came to Morocco, according to the Ministry of Tourism. British tourists comprised most of the arrivals, followed by Italian and Spanish. Some 1.07m foreigners arrived in July alone, despite fears that tourism would decline due to the holy Muslim month of Ramadam falling during the summer season.
Growth in the tourism industry has in recent years averaged a contribution of around 9% to GDP, with sustained growth of 15% over the last decade, added Zenagui. In terms of year-on-year growth, Zenagui said Morocco could outperform major players in global tourism such as Turkey this year, which he said is expected to see a 2% rise in arrivals.
Indeed, emerging markets are driving the majority of activity in the industry, according to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) released in August. Overnight visitor arrival growth reached 12.3% by end of June in Africa, 13% in the Middle East, 12.3% for the Asia-Pacific, 5.9% in the Americas, and just 1.4% in Europe. The WTTC's 2010 Morocco Report, released in July, shows similar promise for the Maghreb country. The contribution of travel and tourism to Morocco's GDP is expected to increase from 14.1%, or Dh111bn (€10.02bn), in 2010 to 16.7%, or Dh247bn (€22.3bn), by 2020. Real GDP growth for travel and tourism is expected to be 0.3% in 2010 and average 5.8% per year over the coming decade.
The travel body also estimates that the sector's contribution to employment will rise from 12.2% of total employment, or some 1.3m jobs (1 out of every 8.2 jobs), in 2010, to 14.5% of total employment, or 1.9m jobs (1 out of every 6.9 jobs), by 2020... Under "Vision 2010", also known as Plan Azur, six new developments were planned to open by 2010, though only two have opened for business: the Mediterrania Sadia, which was the first Plan Azur destination to open in June 2009, and the €300m Magazan Beach Resort, which opened in October 2009. Developer Le Jardin de Fleur is expected to open the first of its 11 resorts in early 2011...
via Oxford Business Group
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