Morocco is hoping 2013 will be a year of economic recovery for the tourism sector but experts are cautioning the rebound will not be as easy as once thought.
“Tourism in Morocco is crucial to the country’s economy, as it represents about 7.1% of the gross domestic product,” financial analyst Moussa El Mouritani explained, as reported in Magharebia
“The European market represents over 50% of the tourism in Morocco; however that market is still unstable and the economy is having a hard time getting back to its normal pace and normal progression,” he added.
Moroccan tourism minister Lahcen Haddad pointed out that efforts have been made on many levels to find ways to minimise impact of the weak economy, particularly in Europe. The Moroccan government plans to develop and finalise pragmatic methods that would allow several projects to come to life. That would require raising a total of AED 38bn for developing 36,000 additional beds and eventually lead to the creation of over 10,000 jobs.
Also on the 2013 agenda, the introduction of medical tourism and sustainable tourism classes.