The city of Essaouira continues its tourist boom, with green indicators during the first 5 months of the current year, thus consolidating its place of choice as one of the most popular destinations offering a rich and diversified tourist product.
In figures, for the month of last May alone, the city of Alizés recorded an increase of 15% in terms of nights in its declared accommodation establishments, accompanied by an increase of around 14% in terms of arrivals, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data communicated by the Provincial Tourism Delegation.
Regarding the accumulation of the first four months (January-April of 2018), the number of nights declared in the city’s accommodation units recorded an increase of 18%, compared to the same period of the past year, the same source specifies.
This performance was accompanied by a 25% increase in the number of arrivals in the Cité des Alizés, continues the same source, indicating that most categories of tourist establishments in the city recorded, during the first 4 months, increases in terms of overnight stays, including 17% for 5-star hotels, 12% for guest houses and 31% for 2-star hotels.
And to note that »the category of 5-star hotels and guest houses alone account for 66% of the total nights recorded in Essaouira during the first four months of 2018. »
»The increase in overnight stays recorded during the January-April 2018 period is attributable to the good performance recorded by non-residents in particular: France with +22%, Belgium (+112%), Germany (+20%), Switzerland (+6%), Holland (+15%), Italy (+24%), Canada (+90%), and the USA (+32%), it is specified.
As a reminder, the tourist indicators for the city of Essaouira experienced a double-digit increase during 2017, with an increase of 12% in the number of nights declared in the various tourist accommodation establishments and an increase of around 14% in arrivals.
In addition to the tourist, natural and cultural potential that the city of Trade Winds holds, the strengthening of air traffic at Essaouira Mogador international airport, in particular with the return announced by the low-cost airline »Raynair » through the »Düsseldorf-Weeze and Essaouira » service, from October 30 with two weekly rotations, will have a positive impact on tourist activity and will undoubtedly contribute to the increase in tourist flows to this city.
»Essaouira contains a particular and original architectural and urban heritage, testifying to a rich past resulting from all the human civilizations which each contributed to the creation of this masterpiece which is the medina of Essaouira, and it is thanks to its history and its exceptional character that UNESCO has included the medina of Essaouira on the Heritage list of Humanity since December 2001, » Mr. Mouhsine Chafai El Alaoui, provincial tourism delegate in Essaouira, told MAP.
And to add that to call on its heritage and its memory, the city of the Alizés makes its voice heard through music and lives with intensity to the rhythm of highly renowned events, among others, the Gnaoua and World Music Festival currently in its 21st edition, the »Printemps Musical des Alizés » Festival, and the »Andalousies Atlantiques » Festival.
Mr. Chafai El Alaoui also highlighted the importance of the hinterland of Essaouira, with splendid landscapes alternating between woodlands, oases and sandy steppes, or even mountainous areas, with beautiful bays, the argan forest and thuja. A real potential that could satisfy the expectations of tourists seeking authenticity, a change of scenery and discovery.
Thanks to this wealth, the Essaouira destination therefore enjoys a »culture-nature positioning by the sea (150 km of coastline) capable of attracting amateurs and professionals of board sports, » he continued.
After indicating that »the year 2018 has started under good auspices and that the sector is recovering and returning to growth; a trend which aligns with medium-term forecasts », he noted that »the tourism sector will continue to evolve in a promising manner, particularly with the opening of new airlines »
source:maroc-diplomatique.net
