The tourism industry in Morocco

The tourism industry in Morocco is an important economic sector; Year after year, it accounts for 8% to 10% of GDP. In terms of tourism, Morocco has remarkable advantages: its climate, its specific culture, imperial cities and its geographical position. Despite these competitive advantages, the tourism sector is undergoing profound changes in recent years. In this short article we will analyze recent developments in foreign tourism tourist overnight stays in the key city of Marrakech and the divergent effects of the two Gulf Wars on Moroccan tourism.
 
Tourism in Morocco in the last fifteen years


Table 1 shows the annual growth rate moyen1pour "international tourists to stay" in blocks of five years, from 1998 to 2002 the growth of tourists throughout the period was only 0.8% . From 1988 to 1992, annual growth was remarkably strong (13.1%). This high was followed by a very marked decline in the years 1993-1997 (an annual decline of -11.3%). Finally, the most recent period, from 1998 to 2002, experiencing a modest growth of 2.6% annually. These data show that the Moroccan tourism industry has been hit hard by cycles of short periods which greatly hinder its development. These cycles depend on both political and economic factors; as reported by Mimoun Hillali: "Tourism is vital to Morocco and Tunisia sector has not recovered from the consequences of a decade of economic shocks and military conflicts in (and continue to do so elsewhere ) Arab countries in particular and the world in general. " (Hillali, 2004 : 38)

Table 1 - The average annual growth rate (geometric mean) "international tourists to stay" in Morocco, in blocks of five years, from 1988 to 2002

Years	Average annual growth
1988-1992	13,1 %
1993-1997	-11,3 %
1998-2002	2,65 %
1988-2002	0,8 %

The nights in Marrakech

Marrakech is the jewel of Morocco's imperial cities; alone account for Marrakech third nights of the whole country; it is a microcosm for analyzing the state of tourism. Five European countries are the main clients of tourism, both for "international tourists to stay" and for hotel stays. These five countries, France, Spain, England, Germany and Italy, 68% of all foreign tourist customers.

Table 2 shows the average annual growth rate of overnight stays in Marrakech for the five countries for the period 1999-2003. Nights growth of French tourists is low (1% per year); there is a sharp drop in overnight stays by Spanish tourists (-18.2%), Germany (-27.5%) and Italy (-16.9%); only English tourists represent clients in real growth (7.6%).

Shares marché2de these various clienteles have evolved significantly over the past decade: in 1993, the French tourists accounted for 59% of overnight stays; This percentage rose to 73% in 1999 and 83% in 2003 Marrakech, this jewel of the kingdom, has become a tourist attraction for the French elite mass media, the entertainment world and even tenor of politics. The tourism industry in Marrakech is increasingly dependent on the arrival of French tourists.


 Hillali, Mimoun (2004), « Risque politique et tourisme au Maghreb », Téoros, vol. 23, no 1, p.38.

References

Bibliographical reference

Jean Stafford, « Le tourisme au Maroc : entre le temps et les événements », Téoros, 24-1 | 2005, 53-54.

Electronic reference

Jean Stafford, « Le tourisme au Maroc : entre le temps et les événements », Téoros [Online], 24-1 | 2005, Online since 24 January 2012, connection on 16 August 2014. URL : http://teoros.revues.org/1516