A growth of 464% according to the Tourism Observatory which published the statistics for the period January-February 2023
Economy: The indicators are green for national tourism. The latest figures published by the Tourism Observatory show three-digit growth in the first two months of 2023. Performances that suggest an exceptional tourist season for the current year. The details.
The Morocco destination is breaking records. Indeed, tourist activity recorded total arrivals at border posts of around 1.9 million tourists at the end of February 2023, which corresponds to a positive development of +464%, compared to a year earlier, according to the Tourism Observatory. This evolution is divided between foreign tourists (TES) with an increase of 703% and Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) with 324%, specifies the Observatory in its statistics for the month of February. Regarding the recovery rate compared to the same period of 2019, it reached 117% in terms of tourist arrivals (149% for MRE and 99% for TES). By source markets, Spain posted the highest recovery rate compared to January-February 2019, at 136%,
Total overnight stays in classified tourist accommodation establishments (EHTC) recorded, at the end of February 2023, an increase of 245% compared to the same period of 2022, according to the Tourism Observatory. In detail, this development concerns non-resident tourists with +756% and residents with +50%, specifies the Observatory in its statistics for the month of February 2023. The recovery rate compared to the same period of 2019 has reached 104% in terms of EHTC overnight stays, including 98% for non-resident tourists and 119% for residents, notes the same source.
By destination, Essaouira posted the highest recovery rate compared to January-February 2019, at 114%, followed by Tangier, Rabat and Marrakech with 113% each. Travel receipts in foreign currencies generated by the tourist activity of non-residents in Morocco during the period from January to February 2023 thus amounted to 16 billion dirhams (MMDH) against 10.6 billion MAD in 2019, an increase of + 51%. These performances are also reflected in a significant increase in revenue. The Foreign Exchange Office had indicated a few days ago that travel receipts stood at more than 16 billion dirhams (MMDH) at the end of February 2023, against only 3.56 billion dirhams in the same period of 2022. These receipts exceed the level reached at the end of February 2020 (12.17 billion dirhams), period before the closure of the borders linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, had specified the Office in the context of its monthly indicators of foreign trade. Travel expenses for the first two months of 2023 amounted to 3.62 billion dirhams. Thus, the excess balance of travel stood at 12.38 billion dirhams at the end of February, against only 1.64 billion dirhams a year earlier.
Plan d’action
To consolidate these results, officials unveiled a new action plan spanning the next three years. Indeed, the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) presented to tourism professionals, last Tuesday in Rabat, “Light In Action”, its action plan for the period 2023-2026 as part of a new edition Tourism Marketing Days. This new action plan of the ONMT is part of the new roadmap for the sector approved on March 17 by the Minister of Tourism, Crafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy and the President of the National Confederation of Tourism (CNT), in the presence of the Head of Government. The ONMT thus aims to contribute to the strategy of the supervisory ministry aimed at reaching 17, 5 million tourist arrivals within three years and to integrate Morocco into the top 10 of the most popular tourist destinations in the world by 2026. For this, the Office’s action plan is based on four pillars: marketing, digital, air transport and distribution. “Light In Action is an ambitious action plan, in perfect harmony with the new roadmap for the tourism sector.
In consultation with professionals, our levers of action will be marketing, all in digital, air X2 and the conquest of markets. Our ambitions are great but we know where we want to go and we have already put in place the milestones”, said Adel El Fakir, CEO of the ONMT. The entire Moroccan tourist microcosm wanted to be present for this event which had a major surprise, namely the presence and intervention of Eddie Wilson, CEO of the airline Ryanair. Eddie Wilson revealed the airline’s ambitions in Morocco, its action plan for this market and the opportunities offered by Morocco as a destination. For the implementation of its new strategy, the ONMT has defined priority actions.
Marketing
For the marketing component, the focus will be on amplifying the impact of the “Morocco, Land of Light” campaign, diversifying co-branding actions and promoting the various destinations and sectors on domestic and strangers. With regard to digital, a media library rich in images and videos will be made available to Moroccan tourism operators, in addition to the launch of the new version of the visitmorocco.com portal and the strengthening of the social network component, in particular through collaborations with content creators.
With regard to distribution, it will be a question of starting to double the volume of the programming of traditional tour operators and online travel agencies, as well as canvassing and activating new commercial partners. The spearhead of the new strategy, the air sector will be boosted by the opening up of new markets thanks to the strike force of the ONMT-RAM duo. The point-to-point network will be doubled at the start of the high-potential transmitter basins, without forgetting the domestic network which will also be reinforced.
To successfully deploy this action plan, the ONMT has designed public-private governance. Three “War Rooms” have thus been launched by the ONMT and the CNT, whose mission is to debate and act on the pillars of marketing and digital, distribution and air travel. “Advisory boards” will also be launched in the target markets, in order to ensure presence, monitoring and synergies with the major operators and distributors in these strategic markets for the Morocco destination.
