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TOURISM
IN MOROCCO
 Morocco
boasts important natural and historical assets and
a rich and diversified cultural
legacy.
Tourist Flow: National
tourism has considerably recovered in 1996, after
three consecutive years of an activity slump. In
1996, the number of foreign tourists who visited
Morocco reached 1,801,165 visitors. Out of this
figure, visitors who came on cruise reached
163,193, which is an annual increase of 8.7% while
visitors who stayed in Morocco were estimated at
1.6 millions, marking an increase of 7.2% in
comparison with the previous year. European
tourists exceeded 1.3 million persons, which is an
increase of 7.9%. This evolution is the result of
more French and German visitors, whose number
posted an increase of respectively 17.8% and 31.1%.
Meanwhile, the number of Spanish tourists was lower
and the decrease was even sharper among English,
Italian and American tourists.
Source: Ministry
of Tourism, Office National Marocain du
Tourisme.
Photos (right) by Muguette Goufrani,
Africa Travel Magazine
Hotel Occupancy
Like arrivals to hotels, nights spent by
tourists in various accommodating categories in
1996 increased by 1.5%, with a total of 28,703,206
against 28,266,744 in 1995. Out
of this total, 35.1% nights were spent in graded
hotels, which is 10,073,206 against 9,941,390 in
1995, which is an increase of 1.3 %.
Tourism Remittances
Tourism remittances in 1996 were worth 11,789.9
Million DH, increasing by 18.7% in comparison with
1995 (9,928.6 Million DH).
Infrastructure and
Investments
By end of 1996, there was a
total number 543 graded hotels.
Morocco's accommodation
infrastructure was consolidated in 1996 by the
launching of 17 hotel projects with a total of
1,512 beds, bringing the total capacity of graded
hotels to 92,023 beds.
The total capacity of
authorized hotels which received state advantages
in 1996 comprises 39 tourism projects. Investments
allocated to their constructions are estimated at
1,697 million DH.
In addition, 31 projects for
the extension and refurbishment of tourism
facilities received the final agreement of the
technical coordination committee of tourism
projects, for a total investment amount of 561
million DH.
New measures to support
tourism were adopted by the authorities. Some
hotels were re-graded in the respect of
international standards.
In order to improve the
competitiveness of enterprises operating in the
tourism sector, the VAT applicable to tourism
activities was reduced from 14% to 10% starting
July 1st, 1996. In addition, laws regulating some
tourism-related activities, mainly those regulating
the guide profession and travel agencies, were
amended.
Lastly, investments in
tourism benefit, since the adoption in November
1995 of the investment charter, automatically from
the advantages in force, a move likely to promote
investments mainly in areas which are still
unexploited.
For more information:
Ministry of tourism or Office National Marocain du
Tourisme
Africa Travel
Association
347 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10016
Sixth Cultural and Ecotourism Symposium Fez,
Morocco
December 8 through December 13, 2002
africatravelasso@aol.com
(212) 447-1926
Photo
Credits: Jerry W. Bird, Scenes of
Casablanca
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