Morocco, China to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation in Tourism
PERSISMA, Rabat – Morocco and China signed on Wednesday a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening their bilateral cooperation in tourism.
On the sidelines of King Mohammed VI’s visit to the Peoples’ Republic of China, Lahcen Haddad, Minister of Tourism, and Li Jing, the Chinese Director General of the National Tourism Administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tourism, investment and promotion and development of tourist flows, including knowledge exchange in the fields of management and training.
The MoU stipulates that the two countries will work together to promote their tourism sectors by supporting inbound tourist destinations in both countries, participating in trade fairs and exhibitions, and supporting travel agencies, national tourism offices and national transport companies.
Both Morocco and China will strengthen training partnerships by encouraging the implementation of training programs for new tourism businesses. Chinese experts will moderate seminars for Moroccan tourism professionals focusing on the unique needs of Chinese tourists.
In order to promote investment in Morocco’s tourism sector, the two parties agreed to exchange expertise identifying tourism investment opportunities and incentivizing investment for Chinese organizations. This will be facilitated by organizing trade missions and road shows for the benefit of potential investors.
Through this MoU Morocco will exempt Chinese nationals from the previous visa requirement to enter the country starting in June 2016.
“Benefiting from it distinguished and diverse tourism product, Morocco has the qualities to appeal to all categories of tourists, notably to Chinese middle class seeking authentic experiences to explore Morocco’s historical and cultural heritage,” a representative from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism told Morocco World News.
China has significant potential as an emerging market for tourists. The country had 98.2 million tourists in 2013 and generated $102 billion in tourism spending in 2012, making it the top country for tourism spending.
Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism has prioritized the Chinese market in its exploration policy to attract 100,000 Chinese tourists by 2020.
In 2015, 10,515 Chinese tourists visited Morocco, an increase of 12 percent compared to 2014.
