Rabat – Morocco’s National Tourist Office (ONMT) began yesterday in Paris the first phase of its “Light Tour” with the aim of promoting Morocco as a tourist destination in international markets.
Alongside a Moroccan delegation of tourism actors, ONMT’s general director Adel El Fakir presented the new communication campaign “Morocco, Land of Light” to a “prestigious audience” consisting of tour operators, airline managers, tourism professionals, and policymakers in Paris.
According to ONMT, the event was an opportunity “to strengthen ties with operators in Morocco’s largest source market for tourists,” France. El Fakir shared the novelties of Morocco’s tourism experiences, as well as the North African country’s ambitions in the French market.
French tourists are the main market for tourism in Morocco, representing around 30% of the total foreign tourists in 2019 (nearly 13 million tourists), according to the National Tourism Confederation (CNT).
The North African country ranked 15th on the list of the top 20 destinations for French tourists in January 2022. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Morocco’s ranking in French tourists reservation fell by 80% compared to 2019.
After Morocco reopened its sea and air borders and eased travel restrictions, tourism traffic between France and Morocco is expected to gain momentum.
Morocco enjoys its position as a popular destination among tourists from all over the world thanks to its geographical location, culture, landscape, hotels, and security. According to Global Terrorism Index’s recent reports, Morocco ranks as one of the safest countries in the world.
ONMT will head next to London on May 18 and New York on May 19. The three-day tour aims to help with the recovery of Morocco’s hospitality sector amid the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morocco’s tourism revenues reached MAD 9.7 billion (nearly $1 billion) at the end of March 2022, an increase of 80% compared to the same period last year. The increase is a clear sign of the gradual recovery of the industry following two years of COVID-19 disruptions.
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