China-Morocco Tourism Cooperation Forum Held in Casablanca

WTCF Secretary-General Song Yu and Morocco’s Minister of Tourism Sajid Mohammed exchanges gifts

On February 1st, 2018, the China-Morocco Tourism Forum was held in Casablanca. The forum was jointly hosted by World Tourism Cities Federation, the Moroccan National Office of Tourism, and the Casablanca city. More than one hundred guests were invited to attend the forum, including buyers from major Chinese travel agency, representatives from the tourism department of Africa, and tourism industry experts. The forum’s theme: “China-Morocco Tourism Cooperation on Belt and Road Initiative”. The forum explored several important topics including “The ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ and Chinese-Africa Tourism Cooperation”, and “Moroccan Tourism Product Development and Marketing”. A tourism trade fair was also held during the forum. Buyers from Chinese famous travel agencies, such as CITS, Tuniu, CCT, Utour; and sellers from African travel agencies attended the trade fair and they exchanged opinions on how to develop the “Belt and Road Initiative” related tourism products.

Li Li, Chinese Ambassador to Morocco, deliveries a speech

On the morning of Feb. 1st, a special training program on topic of “International Cities Tourism Promotion and Marketing” was held during the forum. A total of 164 guests from Moroccan travel agencies, hotels, and other travel related companies, participated the training program. Experts from WTCF gave a lecture on the topics of “Tourism culture”, and “Consumption Habits of Travelers” to attendees.

Sajid Mohammed, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism deliveries a speech

Li Li, Chinese Ambassador to Morocco; Song Yu, Secretary-General of WTCF; Sajid Mohammed, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism; Rachid Hamzaoui, Finance and Administrative Director at the Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT); and Faouzi Zemrani, Vice-President, National Confederation of Tourism of Morocco, addressed the forum respectively and delivered keynote speeches.

At the Forum

In 2015, about 15,000 Chinese tourists visited Morocco; in June, 2016, Morocco implemented the visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens; from January to August, 2017, the number of Chinese citizens visiting Morocco increased 315% over the number of the same period of the previous year, topping the tourist number growth rate list of Morocco. At the end of 2017, the total number of Chinese people traveling to Morocco reached 100,000 during the year. To the extremely rapid increase of Chinese tourists visiting Morocco, WTCF served as a positive driving force, and is a successful case that WTCF boosts the tourism development of its member cities.

Moroccan and African travel companies attend the event

Morocco cities Rabat, Fez, and Casablanca joined WTCF in 2014 and has become members of WTCF.

400 people from 69 cities and 31 tourism related institutions of 42 countries participated in the WTCF Rabat & Fez Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2015.

At the Tourism Trade Fair

Representatives from the most famous travel agencies in China, such as CITS, CTS, CCT, Ctrip as well as presidents, CEOs and top managers attend the summit, which push forward the China-Morocco travel products. The group tours to Morocco growth exploded after the visa-free policy materialized. 300 media outlets attended the summit to guarantee the media visibility in China, which helped Morocco transform into a travel destination on bucket list from a “Land of Mystery”.

After which, WTCF actively helped to promote Morocco to travel agencies of institution members and media outlets of the Committee of Media Organizations, which made more and more Chinese tourists know about Morocco.

This forum will boost the cooperation between China and Morocco as well as the countries along the “Belt and Road Initiative.” By updating the travel products, promoting the non-governmental exchanges, strengthening the opening and cooperation and innovation ability to form the development pattern of the “Land - Sea and East – West Mechanism.”