In his speech on the occasion, the President of the Tangier Regional Tourism Council (CRT), Mustapha Boucetta, stressed that tourism activity has seen remarkable improvement in recent years due to the strategic geographical position of the city of the Strait, which has allowed it to attract a significant number of tourists of different nationalities.

In this context, he did not fail to recall that during the 90s, the tourism sector experienced a quantitative and qualitative leap, translated by the implementation of a number of large-scale tourism projects and spaces that have largely contributed to the diversification of the tourism product in this area.

Such an approach allowed for a significant increase in the number of tourism units before the sector recorded a decline after the first Gulf War, only to experience a great revival later thanks to the Sovereign's visit to the Northern provinces in 2000.

The other members of the CRT were unanimous in emphasising the role of the CRT, particularly in promoting the tourism product as well as its commercialisation through several means, for example: the organisation of festivals and cultural and tourism events on a national and international scale, or through participation in a number of international trade fairs. This is in line with the action strategy implemented by the Tangier-Tétouan CRT for the realisation of edifying tourism development projects in this area.

The number of tourist overnight stays in classified hotels in the region increased from 573,692 in 2001 to 768,507 in 2007, according to official statistics, while the number of arrivals in hotel establishments in the city of the Strait saw a remarkable improvement, going from 273,748 in 2001 to 393,199 in 2007. The occupancy rate of hotel establishments in the city of Tangier is estimated at 48%.

For Mr Boucetta, the city of Tangier now has one of the most important tourism and reception infrastructures on a national scale, which allows it to market its tourism product securely.

He did not fail to point out that despite the performances achieved by the tourism sector, it goes through zones of turbulence from time to time due to the indifference of local authorities and local elected officials regarding this sector, or because of the "limited role" of the supervisory authorities.

He also specified that a number of hotel establishments in the city remain far from the strategy outlined by the Tangier-Tétouan CRT aimed at achieving a real tourism take-off.

It is in this framework that the members of the Tangier CRT deemed it essential to support the Council so that it can fully play its role in the promotion of tourism in the region. They also deemed it necessary to open tourism offices in Malaga and Lisbon.