The national tourism policy was formulated in 2010, with an undertaking to maintain tourism’s role as one of the drivers of Morocco’s economic, social and cultural development. The aim is to make Morocco one of the world’s top 20 tourist destinations by 2020 and establish the country’s sustainable development credentials in the Mediterranean basin.
When it first came to implementing the Vision 2020 strategy, the Ministry had to contend with an economic and tourism environment beset by significant turmoil, namely the geo-political situation in some countries.
The Ministry of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, in collaboration with all public and private stakeholders, is stepping up its efforts to inject further impetus into the sector. To this end, there are plans to strengthen Morocco’s presence in traditional markets and to expand into new, high growth, markets. One objective is to improve Morocco’s visibility as a tourist destination, through promotional campaigns, partnerships with tour operators, and hosting of major events.
The digital revolution is also reshaping the rules for promotion and distribution. In particular the growth of online peer review and booking platforms are undermining traditional intermediaries and shrinking the margins for hoteliers in Morocco. As a result, digital development is considered a priority to enhance the sector and several actions are planned to this end, in particular the referencing and leveraging of available accommodation, as well as optimisation of the travel experience.
Actions are being taken to deliver tourism development based on the following core values:
Authenticity: for many decades, authenticity has been the foundation upon which Moroccan tourism development and brand positioning has been built. This position, which differentiates it from its direct competitors, now gives it a genuine competitive edge. Vision 2020 cultivates this historic choice through a proactive approach to the preservation, conservation and enhancement of the Kingdom’s cultural and natural heritage.
Diversity: Morocco’s undisputed comparative advantage is its diversity in terms of territories and landscapes, natural resources and ecosystems, cultures and influences (African and European). Vision 2020 promotes diversity through an ambitious spatial planning policy.
Quality: while the development of new capacity remains a strategic goal, Vision 2020 aims to significantly improve the competitiveness of all links in the tourism chain, and in particular deepen the service culture and develop a compelling entertainment offer.
Sustainability: in accordance with the general sustainability guidelines adopted for the country, Vision 2020 puts sustainable development at the heart of its ambitions.
Also, the Kingdom of Morocco is attached to the values of openness, moderation, tolerance and dialog for mutual understanding between all the cultures and the civilizations of the world.
Under the tourism development strategy, the Ministry has put in place several tools to ensure long-term monitoring, in particular:
A statistical monitoring system of tourism activity in order to provide an accurate range of indicators designed to meet the needs of actors in the tourism value chain. To this end, a monthly survey is carried out of a representative selection of tourists (international overnight visitors and Moroccans living abroad) in order to identify trends and better tailor the tourism offer to the requirements of an increasingly demanding clientele.
A strategic monitoring system, designed to anticipate changes in both the tourism environment and supply and demand trends in world tourism, provide public and private sector stakeholders with better visibility, and give tourism professionals a decision-making tool to improve the management of their activities.
