The year which is ending will record a remarkable increase in arrivals and foreign exchange earnings. The opportunity to interview a professional in the sector to take stock of the year 2018 which should, according to him, be part of the same dynamic or even accelerate in terms of growth if an effort is made to attract emerging markets with under-exploited potential.
« Before speculating on 2018, we must wait for the figures for 2017 which will not be finalized until the end of December. The current trend which is very good will allow us to end the year with an 8.5% growth in arrivals and the objective is to do the same in 2018″, tells us an expert in the sector who requires anonymity so as not to be triumphant even if he specifies that it will be difficult for Morocco to go from 11 million visitors (2017 forecast) to 12 million by the end of next year.
According to our interlocutor, 2018 will be decisive for measuring the reboundand especially the sustainability of growth undermined since 2014 by the multiplication of attacks in Europe and the amalgamations which had affected tourist flows in all the major destinations in the Arab-Muslim world.
« Even if we should not err on the side of optimism, we are approaching the coming year with great serenity because several ongoing projects show that it can prove to be exceptional and that it is possible to eventually list it as an essential destination in the world », says our expert who is impatiently awaiting the recovery plan from the new ministerial pair.
Apart from the consolidation of traditional European markets (France, Spain, etc.) whose disaffection had affected foreign arrivals between 2014 and the end of 2016, it is above all the potential of emerging markets (China, Russia) which allows operators to be optimistic for the year 2018.
The Chinese market could explode the number of arrivals in 2018
« We must draw inspiration from the French model which welcomes nearly 90 million tourists each year. Over the past 5 years, France has become aware of the pool of Chinese tourists and has implemented several measures (signs in Mandarin, dedicated shops, etc.) which have increased the number of Chinese visitors to 3.5 million per year.
« The 100,000 Chinese tourists received in 2017 in Morocco therefore do not reflect the potential of this enormous market of which at least ten million take long-haul flights », predicts this professional who is very involved with the authorities and private operators so that they take into consideration the particular tastes of the Chinese (food menu, hotel staff, training of guides in Mandarin, etc.).
For our specialist in foreign markets, a significant increase in Chinese arrivals in 2018 is therefore conditional on an effort to promote and improve reception and not, as some think, on the simple opening of a direct air line between Morocco and China.
« Even if the RAM opened a Casablanca-Beijing connection, this would not have a real impact on the Chinese flow because given their potential number, it would be necessary to create several daily lines. Not having sufficient air resources to change the situation, Morocco must focus on the quality of these visitors and not on their number given that they spend a lot of money when they travel far », says our source who adds that the future roadmap of the RAM will have to favor partnership agreements with foreign companies (Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, etc.) to develop indirect arrivals of combined China-Europe or Middle East flights to Morocco.
Preferring not to comment on the additional number of Chinese visitors in 2018, he insists on the fact that a promotional effort is necessary to push Chinese and foreign TOs to offer Morocco to their culture-loving clients who could contribute greatly to foreign exchange earnings (70 billion dirhams expected in 2017) and increase their arrivals in cities like Marrakech or Fez.
Apart from this market which has literally exploded since the royal decision to remove visas for Chinese (100,000 tourists in 2017 compared to 16,000 in 2016), the other great hope of the profession concerns the Russians, more and more of whom prefer Morocco to Egypt or Turkey.
The Russian market, a solution to deserted seaside resorts like Saïdia?
« Unlike the Chinese who have demands commensurate with the high budget devoted to their long-haul trips, the Russians who traditionally spend their vacations in Turkey or Egypt are demanding all-inclusive packages aimed at small budgets », affirms our expert who recalls that this market continues to grow in Morocco (50,000 in 2016 compared to 25,000 in 2015) despite a largely under-exploited potential (3 million in Türkiye, 500,000 in Tunisia).
« This growth which accelerated in 2017 is not due to the fact that we have recovered market shares in these countries deserted by foreigners after the attacks which hit them. Our attractiveness is explained firstly by the stability of Morocco which has led to the opening of new airlines and consequently an increase in foreign arrivals », explains our interlocutor.
Apart from stations of Agadir or Taghazout which constitute the 2nd tourist destination in Morocco, that of Saïdia which does not experience attendance up to its ambitions could therefore attract these seaside enthusiasts who are opting in increasing numbers for Morocco.
In a recent statement to Médias24, the president of the Tourism Observatory and the former director general of the ONMT argued that the opening of several direct lines would make it possible to welcome 300,000 Russian visitors in 2018 or 2019.
Our source concludes that the departure of the DGshould not have a negative effect on the growth rate of foreign arrivals which should continue in 2018 and be at least 6% compared to 2017, i.e. at least 600,000 additional arrivals.
If the coming year continues with the same upward momentum as the one that is ending, the 2020 vision objective of reaching 20 million visitors could finally be achieved… in 2023 or 2024!
source: medias24.com
