Page 85 - Valor Hospitality Partners - Casa Anfa Project

MARKET KNOWLEDGE – MOROCCO, CONT. . .

Morocco Expanding Tourism Infrastructure in Southern Provinces

• With an unspoiled coastline, vast swathes of desert, and a unique cultural heritage, Morocco’s three southern provinces have the

right ingredients to support a sustainable tourism industry.

• Although the region lags behind others in terms of site development and accommodation, private and public initiatives are helping
to open up new opportunities for niche products and increase visitor traffic.

• Given the range of attractions and low development levels, there are significant opportunities for growth in the tourism sector in the
country. Tourism accounted for very less percentage in southern provinces, which is partly due to the limited air links with the more
heavily populated north, where the primary international airports are located, as well as underdevelopment of accommodation and
niche services.

• The tourism sector has not achieved its full potential due to several factors, such as poor communication at the regional and
national levels on the region’s potential, the low bed capacity, animation, and entertainment services.

• Thanks to the national tourism development strategy, Plan Azur 2020, which is facilitating the build-out of tourism capacity in the
southern provinces. Additional flights have begun linking the three major cities to Casablanca and the Canary Islands; Dakhla, for

instance, has 10 weekly flights to Agadir and Casablanca combined. As a result, a combination of large-scale investments and
smaller family-owned hospitality businesses has been increasing local supply and raising the region’s profile with local and foreign
visitors alike.

• In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. However, with technological advancement and
product innovation, mid-size to smaller companies are increasing their market presence by securing new contracts and tapping new

markets