This meeting, organized on the sidelines of the Ifrane international festival, was an opportunity to highlight the opportunities offered by the choice of this city as a “world” site within the framework of the joint organization of the 2030 World Cup in Morocco.
This designation confirms Ifrane’s reputation as a preferred destination for high-level athletes. The city will host certain activities related to this global event, including training camps for various participating teams.
This exceptional opportunity will allow Ifrane to considerably strengthen its position on the international sports tourism scene.
In a statement to MAP, Omar Jaïd, President of the CPT of Ifrane, stressed the importance of the plan developed to create a contractual, coordination and participatory framework with various actors at the national, regional and provincial levels.
“Our objective is to conclude cooperation agreements aimed at obtaining and allocating the necessary support to help us fulfil our missions and carry out our work programme,” he explained.
Mr. Jaïd detailed the five thematic projects that structure this ambitious program including the promotion and marketing of the tourist product of Ifrane, including publication, digitalization, public relations, participation in tourist fairs and advertising campaigns targeting domestic tourism.
It also involves organizing tourist, artistic and cultural events to bring the destination to life throughout the year.
The council also focuses on the development of human capital through the continuing training of professionals in the sector, the establishment of scientific and professional cooperation partnerships to promote the transfer of skills, as well as the organization of periodic thematic meetings to maintain a dynamic of reflection and innovation.
The CPT president also highlighted the exceptional natural and cultural assets of the province of Ifrane.
“We have a forest area of 116,000 hectares, including 48,000 hectares of cedar forest classified as national natural heritage. Our remarkable biodiversity, our water resources and our quality infrastructure make Ifrane an ideal gateway to the national parks and a high-level tourist reception area,” he said.
Mr. Jaïd recalled that Ifrane has positioned itself as an ecotourism and sustainable tourism destination, which earned it the ranking of the second cleanest city in the world after Calgary in Canada.
He also highlighted the wealth of tourist attractions, with more than 60 geographical and natural sites listed, offering a variety of activities such as skiing, climbing, fishing, hunting, golf and bird watching.
In terms of tourist infrastructure, the CPT president reported significant progress. “We have gone from 22 classified accommodation establishments in 2010 to 75 units today, representing 20% of the accommodation capacity of the Fez-Meknes region,” he said.
These establishments offer a total capacity of 3,900 beds and generate around 1,300 direct jobs.
Regarding tourist numbers, Mr. Jaïd welcomed the encouraging figures for the year 2023. “We recorded 115,463 tourists in our classified accommodation establishments, an increase of 69% compared to 2022. The number of overnight stays reached 238,714, up 64% over one year,” he said.
The CPT President also mentioned the significant ongoing and upcoming investments in the tourism sector. He notably mentioned the construction of 9 new accommodation units in 2023, representing an investment of 233.67 million dirhams, as well as 26 projects currently being implemented and 13 in the study phase.
Among the structuring projects, Mr. Jaïd highlighted the “Program for the development and promotion of ecotourism in the Ifrane National Park”, with a budget of 734 million dirhams.
He also cited other major initiatives such as the creation of an amusement park, the landscaping of the Val d’Ifrane, the development of Lake Dayet Aoua and the development of equestrian tourism.
This meeting thus made it possible to highlight the exceptional potential of Ifrane as a leading tourist destination, combining unspoiled nature, quality infrastructure and a diverse range of activities.
2024-08-24 17:17:22