The Straits city continues to develop as a destination of choice for both domestic and foreign visitors. To this end, Tangier continues to display unprecedented growth rates, making it possible, according to the latest official data, to achieve an increase of 31% in terms of tourist arrivals. These positive results can be explained by the fact that the city relies on its multiple tourist assets, but also on its hinterland. Tangier – which stands out for its beautiful beaches and its important architectural and historical heritage (kasbahs, museums, the Grand and Petit Socco, caves, mosques, synagogues, churches, etc.) – offers its visitors a diversified offer around culture and seaside resorts. And thanks to an important tourist and hotel infrastructure and the economic dynamism that the city is experiencing, it has decided, in recent years, to launch into the business tourism segment, as part of a strategy aimed at breaking with the seasonality from which the destination has always suffered.
Professionals from Tangier who firmly believe in the tourist assets of the pearl of the North are therefore aware of the major challenges to overcome to continue to diversify their clientele. And in comparison with other tourist destinations, Tangier has always been able to maintain its rank as the city most popular with national visitors. Moreover, internal tourism manages to stay ahead in terms of arrivals and overnight stays. National visitors thus represent half of all tourists (all nationalities combined) recorded annually.
In addition to domestic tourism, the Spanish and French markets manage to remain at the forefront in comparison with other foreign nationalities. These two traditional markets in the city have managed to dethrone, in recent decades, the British from their first position held until the end of the 80s, in relation to international visitors. Local tourism professionals and managers aim to recover lost market shares (including the British), through the strengthening of air services as well as the implementation of promotional operations for the destination abroad.
It should be noted that like other key sectors of the local economy, tourism in Tangier has seen the launch or implementation of several tourist projects, including that of the reconversion of the port area of Tangier-city, allowing the city of the strait to position itself as a flagship cruise and pleasure destination at the international level. The objective is to reach some 300,000 cruise passengers in 2020 and 750,000 in 2025. This is also the major Al Houara Coastal Resort project, which aims to strengthen the tourism product portfolio with two five-star hotels, hotel residences as well as other commercial and entertainment facilities. The city has also seen, in recent years, the entry into service of new classified hotel units, including the two hotels inaugurated respectively in 2016 and 2017 by the large Hilton chain. The official opening of a third by this same hotel brand is planned in 2018, as part of the Al Houara Coastal Resort Tangier project.
source: today.ma
