Marrakech: Local authorities and elected officials are mobilizing alongside professionals to improve the city’s tourist environment
A meeting dedicated to examining the progress of the Product strategy was held in …Marrakech on Friday January 31, 2014 at The Pearl Marrakech hotel in the presence of Mr. Lahcen HADDAD, Minister of Tourism, Mr. Abdesslam BIKRATE, Wali of the Marrakech Region Tensift Al Haouz, Mr. Ahmed TOUIZI, President of the Council of the Marrakech Region Tensift Al Haouz, Mr. Adnane BENABDELLAH, Vice President of the Marrakech City Council, Mr. Fouad HOURI, President of the Mechouar Al Kasbah commune council and Mr. Hamid BENTAHAR, President of the Marrakech Regional Tourism Council as well as representatives of the Marrakech Regional Tourism Council.
Welcoming the positioning and visibility of the Marrakech brand at the international level, the Minister of Tourism underlined the importance of the concerted approach adopted by stakeholders in the region which made it possible to maintain the dynamic and mobilization for the positioning of Marrakech as a flagship tourist destination of Morocco, aiming to attract more than 5 million tourists by 2020.
Presenting the action plan for the “Product” strategy, Hamid BENTAHAR, President of the CRT of Marrakech, specified that Marrakech is experiencing unprecedented influence and has been the subject of several international distinctions in recent years, including: The most popular place for city trip by Holiday Check (2013); Best family destination of the year by CHAO BAMBINO (2013); Marrakech honeymoon destination of the year by Lonely Planet (2014), as well as the arrival of major international brands has contributed to the enrichment and diversification of the offer. This is why all stakeholders (Authorities, Elected Officials and Professionals) are called upon to take up the challenge of making Marrakech one of the TOP 20 best tourist destinations in the world by strengthening the Family and MICE offers as well as the Authenticity/Living Culture positioning.
“The influence of the Marrakech destination requires the involvement of all public and private actors” indicated Mr. Adnane BENABDELLAH, Vice President of the City Council of Marrakech who specified that the tourism sector is among the strategic choices of the City Council. The participatory approach adopted by the Council with all stakeholders made it possible to identify priorities in close consultation with the CRT. This resulted in the active and financial involvement of the city through several actions:
– Agreement with the CRT for the tourist promotion of Marrakech
– Agreement with the MCC for the establishment of thematic craft circuits.
– Membership of the CPR (2020 vision) with a participation of 200 million dirhams.
– A first in Morocco in partnership with the ONMT: the creation of a regional tourism promotion fund with a financial participation of 25% in line with the expectations of tourism operators.
Furthermore, on another aspect, stakeholders in the tourism sector were reassured that actions relating to the improvement of the city’s tourist environment are already planned by the City Council in the short and medium term, namely:
– Public toilets: A new DARLODO concept implemented in the main tourist passages, and the rehabilitation of 60 public toilets.
– the renewal of the city cleaning contract from March 2014.
– Reception and information (installation of kiosks in partnership with the CRT Marrakech)
– Tourist circuits of the medina
– Urban traffic
– Rehabilitation of public squares in the Medina. For the long term, Mr. Karim ACHAK, architect, responsible for developing the project for the development of the Ghabt Chabab olive grove, presented the broad outlines of this ambitious project which will allow Marrakech to have an environment/tourism/
Mr. Wali, who is attending a CRT-Marrakech meeting for the first time after his appointment by His Majesty, congratulated all the city’s stakeholders, professionals and elected officials, for the work accomplished in the interest of tourism development in the Region. He reassured them that he will mobilize all of his services to support and accompany them.
Mr. Ahmed TOUIZI, President of the Council of the Marrakech Tensift Al Haouz Region, recalled the socio-cultural riches of the Region and in particular its hinterland and insisted that the budgets allocated to the promotion fund be used to conquer new markets, just as he proposed to reflect on a method of management of historical monuments that meets the ambitions of Marrakech. Several formulas have been put forward in this direction, namely: entrusting management to the city, co-management (city/department of culture), privatization.
Finally, Mr. Mohamed Fouad HOURI President of the Council of the Mechouar Kasbah commune focused on the achievements within his commune, many of which are part of the valorization of the offer. He notably recalled the development of:
– The tourist area of L’Agdal,
– M’y Lyazid square,
– The Khettara Museum
– The gardens and fountains along the ramparts,
– Arset Zanbouh.
To conclude, the Minister was delighted that Morocco had exceeded 10 million tourists in 2013, that arrivals and overnight stays were clearly improving while noting that revenues were not keeping up. It remains assured that the product strategy put in place during this meeting will not fail to contribute to the improvement of tourist revenues.
