Latest news with #NationalTourismOffice
Morocco World
20-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco's ONMT Launches Strategic Tourism Plans for Fez, Ouarzazate
Rabat — Morocco's National Tourism Office (ONMT) has unveiled two ambitious tourism revival plans, 'Shining Fez' and 'Rising Ouarzazate,' to boost these historic destinations on the international market. The office announced this plan as part of its global vision to level up the attractiveness of Morocco's tourism cities and sites. This time it is 'a strategy to reposition two heritage jewels, Fez and Ouarzazate,' according to ONMT. These plans aim to revitalize these high-potential regions through partnerships with local authorities and tourism operators. Three-prong approach Implementation of the revitalization plans focuses on three key strategies, namely building awareness through media coverage and educational tours, strengthening partnerships with travel agencies, and improving air connectivity. 'Shining Fez' The 'Shining Fez' plan includes several high-impact media and commercial initiatives. TV5 Monde will broadcast a documentary on Fez cuisine from May 11-21, featuring the medina's rich culinary traditions. France 2 will produce 'The Artisans of Morocco,' showing the region's traditional crafts, while M6 will feature the spiritual capital in its 'Minute Voyage' series. In the UK market, BBC will dedicate an episode of 'Clive Myrie's African Adventure' to Fez. Travel website Travelzoo will create a dedicated Fez page with special offers from partner tour operators running from April 2025 to April 2026. On the commercial front, two major campaigns with French travel agencies Carrefour Voyages and Havas Voyages will focus on 'gastronomy, local products, and craftsmanship.' Fez will also host a workshop with premium sales platform Voyage Privé and participate in Spain's Travel Connect trade show to connect directly with distributors. Travel agents will receive training through webinars, online courses, and e-learning modules, including a specific Fez-Meknes module to enhance their knowledge of the destination. The image strategy includes hosting press trips, influencers, and content creators from the French, German, Italian, and British markets. 'Rising Ouarzazate' The 'Rising Ouarzazate' plan takes a complementary approach, repositioning the city as an exceptional destination at the crossroads of desert, cinema, and immersive experiences. ONMT plans to produce audiovisual content in the UK, focusing on Ouarzazate's film history, displaying the region's legendary studios and spectacular landscapes that have served as backdrops for major productions. The region will also sponsor a British film in competition, with special visibility at the UK Film Festival, featuring its natural scenery. Major European media outlets are involved, including Italian channel RAI 3, which filmed an episode of the program 'GEO' in Ouarzazate, focusing on the relationship between the territory, nomadic culture, and Amazigh traditions. Sky TV's culinary show Gamberorosso will dedicate a special episode to southern Moroccan cuisine in October. Ouarzazate will host several major events, most notably the Desert Women's Summit in the second half of 2025, bringing together 150 female leaders from around the world to experience the spiritual intensity and inspirational power of the Moroccan desert. The city will also welcome two major Spanish tourism conventions: CEAV (100 travel agents) in October and IDEMICE for the MICE network, as well as a Frameless event centered on artistic and sensory immersion. Like Fez, Ouarzazate's plan includes international workshops, online training modules, and press and influencer trips throughout the second half of 2025. Special attention will focus on developing direct connections to these destinations, complementing efforts already made for the summer 2025 season. With these twin plans, ONMT is sending the message that it's treating each destination as unique, with tailored approaches and local collaboration. Fez and Ouarzazate are set to reclaim their prominence as part of a strategy targeting all of Morocco's tourism territories and destinations.
Ya Biladi
14-05-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Morocco adds 14 new direct flights from France in winter 2025 under ONMT–Transavia deal
Morocco's National Tourism Office (ONMT) and Transavia, the low-cost airline of the Air France-KLM group, have announced a major expansion of air service from France to Morocco starting in winter 2025. According to a press release issued Wednesday by ONMT, the partnership be adding 14 new routes and more than 130,000 additional seats, increasing capacity by 30%. The new winter schedule will include direct flights from key French cities—Rennes, Lille, Biarritz, Brest, Deauville, Montpellier, Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Paris—to top Moroccan destinations such as Agadir, Marrakech, Essaouira, Ouarzazate, Dakhla, and Errachidia. Dakhla will gain two new direct routes from Marseille and Bordeaux, while Ouarzazate will be served by two weekly flights from Paris. Essaouira returns to the international spotlight with a new direct route from Nantes. Meanwhile, Marrakech will bolster its role as a regional hub with new connections to Berlin and Venice. Agadir is set to become a key seasonal hub with a dedicated aircraft base, while Marrakech's base will be reinforced with two additional aircraft—marking the first time Transavia stations planes outside of France. With this expansion, Morocco becomes Transavia's top destination in terms of seat-kilometers offered, a key measure of airline capacity. The move is part of ONMT's broader strategy to boost year-round tourism, enhance regional accessibility, and diversify Morocco's travel offerings.
Morocco World
17-02-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco's ONMT Eyes Asian Market, Targets China as Key Tourism Giant
Rabat – Morocco's National Tourism Office (ONMT) is strengthening ties with China's gigantic tourism market through a roadshow, with a wide range of events in Beijing and Shanghai from February 17 to 22. In a statement today, ONMT announced that this initiative follows the reopening of Royal Air Maroc's (RAM) Casablanca-Beijing route and the launch of China Eastern's Shanghai-Casablanca connection in January. The delegation includes Moroccan travel agencies, luxury hotels, and tourism professionals, working alongside the National Tourism Council (CNT). On the menu, meetings are planned with leading platforms such as Ctrip and TikTok, suggesting a strategic intent to attract Chinese tourists. The action is part of a larger effort to restart and consolidate the presence of Morocco in China, one of the main stakeholders in global tourism. China remains a global leader in outbound tourism, with 155 million international trips recorded in 2019. As the sector recovers, Morocco is focusing on high-end segments such as luxury tourism and tailor-made travel experiences. ONMT has organized a series of promotional actions in China throughout 2024 in collaboration with trade and marketing professionals. These include participation in international tourism fairs such as ITB China 2024, collaboration with key industry operators, and digital outreach through Chinese social media. With over 4.15 million millionaire households in China as of 2023 and an interest in luxury travel on the rise, Morocco is confident it can attract high-value tourists. 'This roadshow is an important step in positioning Morocco as a premium destination for Chinese tourists,' ONMT statement concluded.
African Manager
12-02-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia gains momentum with major tourism projects
Mohamed Mehdi Haloui, Director of Investments at the National Tourism Office, highlighted the revitalization of Tunisia as a tourist destination, particularly emphasizing the growing interest from foreign investors. He noted that several international brands have expressed interest in expanding their presence in the country, either by opening new hotel units or enhancing existing operations through expansion projects. In an interview with African Manager on Tuesday, February 11, Haloui confirmed that the current period is marked by the completion of numerous tourism projects, with a total value of nearly 120 million dinars. He also revealed that the Ministry of Tourism is reviewing several legislative texts and laws to further stimulate investment in the tourism sector. Haloui stated that the sector has seen an improvement in investment activity over the past year, both in terms of investment intentions and actual investments. He detailed that total investment intentions reached 936.038 million dinars, while the value of realized investments was estimated at around 172 million dinars, with approximately 156 million dinars allocated to completing tourism accommodation projects. 'Investment intentions in 2024 showed growth compared to 2023, when they stood at around 870 million dinars,' he added. Major tourism projects soon to launch in Tunisia Haloui announced that the tourism sector will be bolstered by the launch of several significant projects, including a new Hilton-branded hotel in Tunis. 'In the South, work is nearing completion on two new units. We also hope that the Tamerza Palace Hotel will reopen this year, following the completion of all procedures by the project review committee. Additionally, work on the Forest Hotel in Jendouba has reached advanced stages, and it will reopen to the public in the coming weeks,' he said. He also assured that numerous tourism establishments in Sousse and Hammamet are set to open soon. Haloui announced that a Libyan investor has decided the fate of the iconic inverted pyramid hotel (Hôtel du Lac) in Tunis after holding a series of meetings with the Tunis Municipality and the National Heritage Institute. He confirmed that it has been decided to preserve the hotel's architectural structure, effectively abandoning the previously proposed demolition plans. Tourism revenues rise by 6.3% Cumulative tourism revenues increased by 6.3%, reaching 6.6 billion dinars as of November 20, 2024, according to monetary and financial indicators published by the Central Bank of Tunisia. Remittance revenues also saw a positive increase of 2.7%, reaching 7 billion dinars compared to 6.8 billion dinars the previous year. External debt servicing rose by nearly 24%, exceeding 13 billion dinars as of November 20, 2024. Net foreign exchange reserves remained stable at 24.8 billion dinars, equivalent to 112 days of imports. Factors behind the growth The observed growth is attributed to several factors. The return of political stability, combined with an aggressive international tourism promotion campaign, has clearly paid off. Tourists, drawn by Tunisia's cultural and natural riches, have responded in increasing numbers. While sector professionals welcome these encouraging results, they remain cautious about the future. Challenges persist, including heightened competition from rival tourist destinations and global economic uncertainty. Nevertheless, medium-term prospects appear favorable.
