The department in charge of tourism has not yet unveiled the new roadmap for the sector. The announcement was however scheduled for April 2 in Agadir. Professionals are asking questions.Should we review, according to a committee of experts, the overhaul of Vision 2020 concerning governance, the Azur Plan, the repositioning of the Morocco destination, the place of digital, the improvement of the quality of the offer or air connectivity and especially the coordination of the private – public partnership?
Vision 2020 aimed to make the kingdom one of the top 20 global tourism destinations with a doubling of accommodation capacity for the creation of 200,000 new beds, a doubling of tourist arrivals to finally land on 140 billion dirhams in 2020 without forgetting an increase in tourism GDP of two points in GDP national.
Almost two years from the deadline, we are far from this travel dream! We ended the year 2017 with 11.3 million tourists, including 5.4 million Moroccans residing abroad, with tourism revenue having reached 6.89 billion dollars at the end of November 2017… We always change a method that doesn’t work! And my faith here is the case. Should we review the seaside resort, the quality of the product, the promotion of the cultural and natural assets of Morocco… or quite simply check if there is a « pilot » on the plane of this sacred national tourism strategy?
On the occasion of the International Tourism Symposium organized by the Development and Solidarity Council (CDS), an independent think-tank, in partnership with the CGEM (General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises), Ms. Bensaleh Chaqroun, the president of the employers’ body, highlighted the need for good governance and responsible and real involvement of the government in tourism, a sector which still employs 500,000 people.
Morocco attracts 11 million tourists today and since 2013 we have been the leading tourist destination in Africa. The prospects for 2018 are certainly promising, but do they still live up to the expectations of professionals? How can we, at such a level of economic emergency, deprive the tourism sector of its foundations?
Rwanda, often cited as an example, has hosted more than 40 international conferences, including several high-level events such as the World Economic Forum, the Global Investment Summit in Africa, but also the African Hotel Investment Forum. As a result, the country saw an increase in revenues, which exceeded $37 million in 2015 and reached $47 million in 2016. In 2017, business tourism in the country is expected to bring in $64 million. This is the main interest of the Convention Bureau which has allowed private companies to position themselves in the business tourism market. Yet for the year 1993 alone, Rwanda only had 102 tourists!
The Digital Transformation has disrupted, with incredible speed, the consumption patterns of travel, culture and leisure. How have tourism federations prepared for this tourism of tomorrow?
The world is changing and so is tourism. If Morocco stumbles in the coming years on its own digital strategy, it will also be necessary to reconsider personalized responsibility!
source: financialafrik.com
