With the Tourisma Post Trophy, the Trivago ranking, and the best national performance at the end of September 2014 in terms of tourism, Ouarzazate proudly savours the taste of success. It is, moreover, used to it. A beautiful, clean, and welcoming space, the capital of a thousand Kasbahs presents all the assets of a modern city.

The quality of life had already been mentioned in previous reports. And if we add to this panoply of successes the various foreign shoots on natural sets, the circle is complete. Assessment: a niche with extraordinary propulsion power, namely cinema and tourism.

The first niche of this happy couple is doing very well. Suffice it to see this beautiful presence over the last two years. The film industry has thus allowed this city in the south-east of Morocco to welcome, in 2014, renowned artists such as Tom Hanks in "A Hologram for the King", Nicole Kidman in "Queen of the Desert", Ben Kingsley or Mahatma Gandhi in the series "King Tut" on the life of Tutankhamun, and Kev Adams in "The New Adventures of Aladdin".

This only links the present with the past, where we had seen renowned actors and directors flocking, such as Omar Sharif, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, Jamel Debbouze, Colin Farrell, Cate Blanchett...

The tourist benefits are largely positive. When cinema goes well, everything goes well in Ouarzazate. Thus, at the end of September 2014, the city continues to occupy the first place at the national level in terms of arrivals and overnight stays.

According to a statement from the Ouarzazate CPT, the number of tourists who stayed in classified accommodation establishments reached 214,562, against 181,575 for the same period in 2013. That is a clear progression of +18%, the best at the national level. In addition to the positive effects of cinematic activity, this performance is the fruit of a promotion effort deployed for years by tourism professionals and their partners, notably the Moroccan National Tourism Office, the Souss-Massa-Draa region, and the provincial authorities.

This performance benefited the vast majority of accommodation establishments, since record increases in terms of overnight stays were recorded at the level of the 5-star category (+84%), Hotel Clubs (+46%), and guest houses (+25%). 3 and 4-star hotels recorded increases of 20% and 21% respectively.

Very satisfied with these results, with the Tourisma Post Trophy awarded to the Atlas and Valleys region as the best tourist region in Morocco, as well as the recent ranking awarded by Trivago for Ouarzazate hotels: 7th place worldwide in terms of value for money, the professionals and their partners (notably the ONMT) are determined to continue their work so that Ouarzazate and its region regain a meritorious place.

The strengthening of air service to Ouarzazate (Casa/Ouarzazate since June 2014, launch of the Madrid/Ouarzazate line on November 27, 2014, Marrakech/Ouarzazate under negotiation) will undoubtedly contribute to sustaining the results recorded during 2014.