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Morocco 2010
Booming Tourism Industry
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In 2001 King Mohammed VI launched his ambitious Vision Morocco 2010 plan to bring 10 million tourists to Morocco every year. That year (2001) saw 2.5 million tourists, by 2003 that figure had risen to 4.3 million, in 2005 they hit 5.8 million and have reached 6.8 million by the end of 2006. |
Plan Azur - Vision 2010
King Mohammed VI launched the 'Vision 2010' strategic tourist development program with a target to create 600.000 new jobs.
Over the next five years Morocco will experience considerable change in line with Plan Azur. The government's new strategy will cost £2.2 billion.
The infrastructure development program which underpins 'Vision Morocco 2010' also implies and guarantees a high degree of convergence between the requirements for and Morocco's commitment to top class standards. This strategy has already begun to bear fruit. Since the launch of the plan Azur, more than 20,000 new hotel beds have already come on the market and thousands of others have been renovated.
In 2010, Morocco will have more than 250,000 hotel beds, including 180,000 located in or around the cities. King Mohammed VI's plan includes the creation of six new seaside resorts, to regenerate areas with little other industry, but with recognizable tourist attributes. Five of these 'Plan Azur' areas are on the Atlantic coast and one is on the Mediterranean coast. These will be built over the next five years and will include stunning apartments, townhouses, villas, golf and 5 star hotels.
Some of the key changes are:
1. Channel Tunnel between Morocco and Spain by 2010
2. Five year expansion plan. Arab Investors will build new complexes with golf courses, 5 star hotels, beach clubs, harbours, convention centres, riding clubs and spas.
3. Other Major investments focusing on real estate, seaside resorts, shopping centres, roads, harbour and airport infrastructure, creating new employment opportunities
4. New roads with a budget of €11.9m
5. High speed trains
Among Morocco's assets, the low cost and the high quality of labour, as well as the inhabitants' mastery of French and Spanish and the geographical proximity with Europe.The attractiveness of the country is high for international tourism, due to the quality and the variety of the sites, and the innate sense of hospitality of the Moroccans.
Numerous measures have been taken so as to attempt to develop the private sector. Thus sixteen regional investment centres have seen the light of day recently in the country. Their role is to support investors and create enterprises. Also included in the programme is a new customs code and the creation of business tribunals and a law on competition and prices. The country has also adopted a legal and fiscal framework intended to attract foreign investors. The latter may henceforth freely repatriate their capital. Finally, the programme of privatization is moving ahead.
Most of these changes are not pipe dreams, they are happening now.
Morocco2010
King Mohammad VI of Morocco
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