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The seaside remains the favorite holiday spot of the French at 61%, followed by the countryside, 20%, and the mountains, 19%
In Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Ouarzazate, hoteliers and agents find arrivals collapsing. It affects all segments of the market. The spring tourist season in Morocco is already compromised, according to many professionals. A Casablanca hotel said it was difficult to understand the unusual rhythm of slow bookings at the opening of the "super peak season."
Especially that "it is not during holiday periods in the generating markets and the ski season is almost over." Professionals recognise with a sick at heart, a sharp tap on the brakes hit the area. It is far from the seasonal average of 60% full rate in Marrakech. It would be around 40% with a bigger impact among the newcomers on the market, which show occupancy rates below 30%. Large wailing coming from the restaurants in town, some turn out at night with less than 70% capacity. They expect worse, they say, because the end of the Sovereign's stay in Marrakech will plunge the city into the torpor of tomorrows events. The cancellation of the Grand Prix of Marrakech in June ( because of lack of sponsorship) is another blow to the local tourism industry.
To make matters worse, the number of r French, the premier customers of Morocco, are down now. They are not going on vacation as much as last year, 17 days on average. But they are spending less. The Benchmark Group study, conducted from January 27 to February 15 last, said that the French guests plan to spend less money because of the economic context, and 59% go for safer destinations such as Italy, Spain and Greece. North African destinations, Tunisia and Morocco in this case are no longer top of the destinations preferred by the French, who represented about 3.4 of the 10 million tourists visiting Morocco in 2010.
As regards the French tour operators, scheduling for the sub-region in particular, we refer to the commentary of the authors of the study: "The compromise will be made on accommodation and any expenses, such as recreation or food." The result of a coincidence or timing or careful study? In any event, promotional offers on Morocco have never been more important on the web. The TO Tunisian Traveltodo installed in Morocco recently, and Accor have been hit hard, offering the 3-5 star hotels in Agadir, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Fez, Tangiers and Tetouan between 219 and 635 DH TTC in various standards of accommodation. Note that the sea remains the favorite holiday spot of the French at 61%, followed by the countryside, 20%, and the mountain, to 19%.
Another bad indicatror is the fall of Morocco from first to fourth best selling destinations, for the French with the No. 1 buying online ticket agency, Go Voyages. Marrakech went from the 6th best-selling destination in in 2010 to 11th place this year 2011, down from 33% in its sales only on the first week of February. This decline is 24% trhoughout Morocco but the tenor of the contracts call for not giving in to "panic management" or reacting to this phenomenon by cutting in passenger numbers.
More fear than harm
The World Tourism Organisation has been quite optimistic about the recovery in Tunisia and Egypt, at the opening yesterday, 9 March of , the 11th Tourism Fair in Berlin, where 11,163 exhibitors are present. The signal came from the chairman of the powerful Federation of German travel agencies, Jürgen Buchy, who suggested that "reservations for these two countries are increasing again in the German agencies. Explanation: "The peaceful revolutions that have hit the headlines in recent months, met a lot of sympathy with the Germans." Should we see the strength of competing destinations of these lobbyists? Nothing is less certain. Moroccan professionals are present in Berlin, and they are working to remove any confusion amongst the European Tour Operators, who tend to put all the southern basin of the Mediterranean in the same bag.
Bashir Thiam
L'Economiste
Especially that "it is not during holiday periods in the generating markets and the ski season is almost over." Professionals recognise with a sick at heart, a sharp tap on the brakes hit the area. It is far from the seasonal average of 60% full rate in Marrakech. It would be around 40% with a bigger impact among the newcomers on the market, which show occupancy rates below 30%. Large wailing coming from the restaurants in town, some turn out at night with less than 70% capacity. They expect worse, they say, because the end of the Sovereign's stay in Marrakech will plunge the city into the torpor of tomorrows events. The cancellation of the Grand Prix of Marrakech in June ( because of lack of sponsorship) is another blow to the local tourism industry.
To make matters worse, the number of r French, the premier customers of Morocco, are down now. They are not going on vacation as much as last year, 17 days on average. But they are spending less. The Benchmark Group study, conducted from January 27 to February 15 last, said that the French guests plan to spend less money because of the economic context, and 59% go for safer destinations such as Italy, Spain and Greece. North African destinations, Tunisia and Morocco in this case are no longer top of the destinations preferred by the French, who represented about 3.4 of the 10 million tourists visiting Morocco in 2010.
As regards the French tour operators, scheduling for the sub-region in particular, we refer to the commentary of the authors of the study: "The compromise will be made on accommodation and any expenses, such as recreation or food." The result of a coincidence or timing or careful study? In any event, promotional offers on Morocco have never been more important on the web. The TO Tunisian Traveltodo installed in Morocco recently, and Accor have been hit hard, offering the 3-5 star hotels in Agadir, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Fez, Tangiers and Tetouan between 219 and 635 DH TTC in various standards of accommodation. Note that the sea remains the favorite holiday spot of the French at 61%, followed by the countryside, 20%, and the mountain, to 19%.
Another bad indicatror is the fall of Morocco from first to fourth best selling destinations, for the French with the No. 1 buying online ticket agency, Go Voyages. Marrakech went from the 6th best-selling destination in in 2010 to 11th place this year 2011, down from 33% in its sales only on the first week of February. This decline is 24% trhoughout Morocco but the tenor of the contracts call for not giving in to "panic management" or reacting to this phenomenon by cutting in passenger numbers.
More fear than harm
The World Tourism Organisation has been quite optimistic about the recovery in Tunisia and Egypt, at the opening yesterday, 9 March of , the 11th Tourism Fair in Berlin, where 11,163 exhibitors are present. The signal came from the chairman of the powerful Federation of German travel agencies, Jürgen Buchy, who suggested that "reservations for these two countries are increasing again in the German agencies. Explanation: "The peaceful revolutions that have hit the headlines in recent months, met a lot of sympathy with the Germans." Should we see the strength of competing destinations of these lobbyists? Nothing is less certain. Moroccan professionals are present in Berlin, and they are working to remove any confusion amongst the European Tour Operators, who tend to put all the southern basin of the Mediterranean in the same bag.
Bashir Thiam
L'Economiste
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