Morocco Aims to Quadruple Italian Tourism as Welcome Travel Group Convention Opens
Rabat — Morocco's tourism officials launched an ambitious growth strategy during the Welcome Travel Group convention that began Saturday in Bouznika. The event, hosted by Morocco's Tourism Office (ONMT), brought together key Italian tour operators and Moroccan tourism leaders.
ONMT's Director General director Achraf Fayda shed light on Morocco's position as Africa's top tourism destination with 17.4 million visitors last year, mentioning the untapped potential in the Italian market.
'Last year, we welcomed less than one million Italian visitors, half of whom were Moroccans living in Italy,' he said, noting that the sector is ambitious 'to multiply this figure by two, three, or even four times.'
In 2024, Morocco welcomed over 900,000 Italian tourists, making Italy among the largest outbound markets for tourists to the country, alongside France, Spain, the UK, and Germany.
The Moroccan government has committed over one billion euros in public tourism investments over the next decade, not counting private sector funding. 'Morocco is transforming six cities hosting the 2030 World Cup, with half a billion euros allocated to each,' Fayda explained.
Royal Air Maroc's Commercial Director Ilham Kazzini outlined the airline's expansion plans, targeting growth from 60 aircraft to 130 by 2030. 'We'll be ready for the World Cup,' she assured.
Kazzini announced new direct routes between Morocco and Italy, including Marrakech-Milan in September, plus flights to Rome and Bologna. She also recalled a recent code-sharing agreement with ITA Airways, inviting the Italian carrier to develop more connections to Morocco, given the 'enormous potential' between both countries.
CEO of TRA Consulting and economist at Milan-Bicocca University Andrea Giuricin delivered a presentation on his analysis of post-Covid global tourism, noting that 'the sector recovered faster than expected, surpassing 2019 levels by 2023.'
Read also: Spanish Tourism Giant Ávoris Signs Strategic Agreement with ONMT
He specifically commended Morocco's role in this positive trend, noting that 'Africa, especially thanks to Morocco, has experienced a very rapid recovery, aligning with current global trends.'
Meanwhile, Luigi Stefanelli, the vice president of global sales for Costa Cruises introduced innovations in excursion offerings with new categorization tailored to different traveler profiles.
'We've completely redesigned our excursion program to make it more understandable for customers and easier for our partners to explain,' he said.
This convention, hosting Italy's largest travel agency network under ONMT's leadership, demonstrates Morocco's commitment to strengthening its position in the Mediterranean tourism market.
The country aims to diversify its tourism source markets, particularly ahead of co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal. Tags: Italy tourismMoroccoONMTTourism
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