Tourist activity is booming in Marrakech this year and in its momentum, Marrakech is also heading towards the American markets. Its four-year tourism plan hopes for the creation of a direct Marrakech-New York line
MARRAKECH charms American tourists. After expanding its hotel offering with ?responsive? establishments? to the needs and standards of the American market, the ocher city relies on its travel agencies. Marrakech will host the annual conference of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) next March.
Preparing for an event like the annual conference which brings together several stakeholders in American tourism is done well in advance and the ONMT has been working on it for more than a year. The fact of organizing this mass in Marrakech is in itself a mark of confidence, according to professionals. The choice of Marrakech was made after a long seduction campaign led by the National Tourist Office. The ONMT highlighted the hotel infrastructure of the ocher city and its various attractions which allow it to attract a sophisticated American clientele with strong purchasing power. And for the destination, it is a triple objective that we can expect from such an event: to raise awareness of Marrakech while marking a nice communication coup for the Morocco destination and as a bonus to achieve some contracts during the ASTA congress.
The association has some 7,000 members in all categories – from large travel agencies to independents. These agencies generate $17 billion in annual revenue, 78% of which is dedicated to leisure travel. If for their mass, the Americans chose Marrakech among other equally popular destinations, they carried out several scouting trips in the ocher city before deciding. Moreover, the city already has a good reputation among American tourists and media.
For Susan Sheets, vice-president of the association, “Morocco is a destination that we have been following closely for?some? time, she adds. The exceptional evolution of the infrastructure combined with historical, cultural and human assets make it a destination of choice for our members and their customers.
Finally, the holding of this congress of American tour operators fits perfectly with the four-year objectives set by the Regional Tourism Council and which wishes to intensify its promotional activities towards the countries of North America and Latin America. “The size and quality of the Marrakech product deserves that we look for customers a little further afield, particularly the American and Brazilian markets,” believes this local professional. Thus, among the axes of the CRT action plan, the creation of long-haul lines in particular New York-Marrakech and Sao Paolo.
(CRT)
