The Head of Government chaired, this Friday, March 17 in Rabat, the signing ceremony of the Framework Partnership Agreement for the deployment of the strategic roadmap for the tourism sector 2023-2026. Here’s what to remember.
This roadmap mobilizes an investment envelope of 6.1 billion dirhams over 4 years. It aims to attract 17.5 million tourists in 2026, to reach 120 billion dirhams in foreign exchange earnings by 2026. It also aims to create 200,000 new direct and indirect jobs within 4 years and to reposition tourism as key sector in the national economy.
According to a press release from the Department of the Head of Government, this roadmap is based on several levers to achieve the objectives set. In particular, this involves relying on “new logic of the offer”, articulated around the customer experience and structured around 9 thematic sectors and 5 cross-functional sectors. The roadmap thus provides for an offensive plan to double air capacity, the strengthening of promotion and marketing, with particular importance given to digital, as well as the diversification of cultural and leisure activities products with the emergence of a fabric of dynamic and modern SMEs.
It is also planned to upgrade the existing hotel park and create new hotel capacities, as well as to strengthen human capital.
In addition, a new governance of the sector put in place, notably through the creation of a National Interministerial Commission for Tourism (CNT) chaired by the Head of Government and composed of the signatory parties. The roadmap also provides for the establishment of 12 regional plan monitoring commissions chaired by the walis in each region.
The framework partnership agreement for the deployment of the strategic roadmap for the tourism sector was signed by the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Tourism, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Youth and Culture, the minister in charge of the budget, as well as the president of the CNT.
“Outstanding” achievements in 2022
During his speech, Aziz Akhannouch, noted the exceptional achievements of the tourism sector during the year 2022 and this in a difficult global context. He also recalled the strong mobilization of the government, in particular the emergency plan of 2 billion dirhams which made it possible to support tourism professionals and maintain jobs during the crisis.
Returning to the exceptional momentum experienced by Morocco, under the enlightened vision of SM. Mohammed VI, Aziz Akhannouch recalled the planetary exposure that our country experienced during the 2022 World Cup and more recently following Morocco’s candidacy for the organization of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Morocco. Portugal.
For her part, Fatima Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism; recalled that thanks to the general mobilization of all the actors and the offensive actions carried out in terms of air travel and promotion, the Kingdom attracted around 11 million tourists in 2022, i.e. a recovery rate of 84% of arrivals of 2019, exceeding the global average of 63%. The sector also recovered 116% of foreign currency travel receipts compared to 2019.
The Minister also underlined that this recovery period has made it possible to carry out a fundamental reflection on the Moroccan tourism of tomorrow, and thus to set the ambitious vision of doubling the number of arrivals to 26 million by 2030.
To conclude, Fatima Zahra Ammor recalled that given the importance of the customer experience in the loyalty of tourists, the roadmap should allow a quantitative and qualitative leap guaranteeing an irreproachable customer experience and to position the destination Morocco among the largest in the world.