Yacout Info: Which tourism destinations has ZDF TV selected this year for coverage this year?

Stephan Merseburger, Paris correspondent for ZDF TV: Two years ago we visited and broadcast programmes on Cape Town, Buenos Aires and Paris and this year we are doing Buenos Aires, Stockholm and Marrakech. We are very proud that we have a destination this year which is in the Arab World. People from the West don’t normally think of Arab world destinations as automatic holiday hot spots.


Q: But Marrakech has an international reputation ?

ZD TV: Yes this is the charm of Marrakech and its historical associations with leading personalities-Churchill, Yves St Laurent, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Hendrix and Essaouira too. The thousand and one nights , the magic of the oriental world is incarnated by Marrakech and this is we are trying to capture this spirit in this programme.

Q: What are your first impressions of Yacout restaurant?

A: It is a magnificent place, absolutely charming and we had a wonderful dinner here and an excellent evening here prior to this interview. It is a must for anyone visiting Marrakech.

Q: What has impressed you about Marrakech so far?

A: There are many who have left their mark on Marrakech- Yves St Laurent with the Majorelle Gardens, which is a wonderful place and is, if you consider as a museum, as we learnt, the most successful museum in Morocco with 600,000 entries per year which is amazing.

Q: How do you see Marrakech as a tourism destination ?

A: Some say that Marrakech is very French in orientation and has become the 21st arrondissement of Paris with 8 direct flights a day! Many westerners are investing in the city especially the French with riads and hotels and Maison d’Hotes and Moroccans too of course. German tourism is developing and more and more people are looking for 3 or 4 day trips and Marrakech is a top destination for short visits and weekend city breaks and perhaps our programme will inspire them to come to Marrakech.