The ochre city is multiplying charm operations in order to conquer new high-end tourist markets. The empire of the tsars seems to interest Moroccan professionals more and more.
A delegation of Russian-speaking travel agencies and tour operators stayed recently in Marrakech as part of a workshop intended to promote high-end national tourism and to help discover the Kingdom differently.
This event brought together representatives of 29 travel agencies and tour operators, including 25 from Russia and the rest from Ukraine, in addition to about twenty Moroccan professionals specialising in the high-end sector, notably managers of five-star (and above) hotel establishments and Regional Tourism Councils (CRT) of Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca, and Tangier. This workshop was an opportunity for Moroccan professionals to present the national luxury tourism product in all its forms and to review the multitude of assets likely to attract the Russian clientele, who are moreover exempt from an entry visa to Morocco.
The two co-organisers of the event, Fadel Al-Hafed and Eric Grandjean, dwelt on the importance of this market with high added value and the main motivations of Russian travellers who are more attracted by seaside resorts, high-end services, and luxury shopping.
In this context, the emphasis was placed on the need to do everything possible to make the Kingdom and its enormous potential better known, in order to conquer this promising market. Hence the importance of multiplying promotional events for the destination both in Russia and in Morocco, through the organisation of educational tours, workshops, and communication campaigns. It is also important to strengthen direct air links, without a stopover in Munich, as is the case today for all Royal Air Maroc flights.
After noting that Morocco still had a deficit in terms of notoriety and image in the said market, the participants called for the pooling of efforts to make up for this deficit, to show that the Kingdom is also a luxury destination, and for Marrakech to present a high-quality tourist offer.
With its countless assets, Morocco is more than ever required to position itself in this high-end segment and to have a diversified tourist offer, knowing that luxury tourism benefits from a higher added value than mass or mid-range tourism.
