Adding to Marrakech’s tourism appeal is the rise of Instagram travellers and social media influencers snapping pictures in the many “riads” of the city. One case in point is of the Riad Yasmine in Marrakech; its operation was taken over by a French couple, Gabriel Paris and Alice Tassery, in 2015. In an interview with Mashable, the duo stressed that its new blogger-focused social media strategy has reaped dividends. The website reported in November 2016 that more than 80% of guests come to the Riad because they have seen pictures of it on Instagram and Pinterest.
Morocco is also cashing in on the TV phenomenon that is ‘Game of Thrones’. The cities where ‘Yunkai’ (Ait Benhaddou) and ‘Astapor’ (Essaouira) were filmed have become a pilgrimage destination for HBO watchers, along with Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Croatia, Malta, and Scotland.
King Mohammed VI’s successful implementation of the Vision 2010 programme saw tourist arrivals increase to 9.3 million visitors from four million in 2000, as reported by Federation Nationale de L’Industrie Hoteliere (National Hotel Federation), and he has now set his aim higher. The King’s new Vision 2020 programme aims to increase the number of tourists visiting Morocco to 18 million by the year 2020. Some 10.3 million tourists visited Morocco in 2016.
The increase in international visitor arrivals was driven by a number of factors including re-introduction of several airline routes that had been suspended during an economic downturn, as well as the city’s emergence as a MICE and events tourism destination.
Under Vision 2020, the government aims to double the size of the tourism sector, making Morocco one of the world’s top 20 tourist destinations by 2020.
According to Frehde, what makes Morocco a good place to invest for international hotel companies is that the country is a safe destination, one where the King has been very focused on bringing in more tourism. “He has created highways, connected the imperial cities and is developing beautiful oceanside destinations, both on the Atlantic and on the Mediterranean. All these combined make Morocco a very good investment destination,” he said.
According to Frehde, hoteliers have for years been very involved with tourism boards. They bring social media expertise to local entities and work with many local social media influencers. “Morocco, and Marrakech in particular, has been a celebrity hotspot for years,” he added.
An open-skies agreement with Europe has removed the limit on EU flights to Moroccan airports, so now, a significant number of flight routes have opened up from key source markets including Germany, France and Spain.
In addition, La Societe Marocaine d’Ingenierie Touristque (SMIT), an investor support system, plays an important role in the development of tourism in Morocco. SMIT makes the country a more attractive place to invest in tourism by acting as a ‘one stop shop’ for investors.
For Hilton’s Hasbini, with an attractive tourism offering, strong government support and organisations such as SMIT, the future looks bright for hospitality in Morocco.
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