ADTA delegation visits Morocco

Led by Nasser Al Reyami, Licensing and Classification Division director at the ADTA, the delegation held several meetings with officials from the Ministry of Tourism. Among officials met were Mohammed Al Ali Hassani, Director of the Tourism Corporation, Bumahdi Lisawi, Head of Tourism Installations Classification, Rashid Al Faqeer, Head of IT Services, Hassan Al Hafsi, Head of Control Section, Anis Al Sharqawi, Head of Tourism Activities, Abdul Raziq Al Hijjawi, Head of Tourism in Fas.

The delegation visited many cities including Rabat, Marakish and Casablanca.

The meetings touched on the Moroccan tourism experience, including its various stages of development. Future growth prospects within the context of the 2010 vision were also dwelt upon.

According to Vision 2010, Morocco aims to attract some 10 million tourists.
The ADTA delegation reviewed the Moroccan system for licensing tour operators and travel agencies, whose number has currently soared to 560 firms. Other aspects covered by the delegation comprised regulations and legislation, necessary prerequisites for licensing, and tourism guidance.
On tourism guidance profession, the delegation was briefed on the necessary qualifications and experiences that must be possessed by the guides.

The guidance sector is booming in Morocco and has attracted some 2300 young men and women. The tourism classification system in Morocco comprises 13 categories for grading hotels and other tourism facilities.

The delegation which also included Mohammed Yousef, ADTA's Head Department of Classification, and Ahmed Aldhaheri ADTA's department of Licensing conducted several fields visits to areas renowned for their urban heritage and festival tourism such as Marakish, whose captivating beaches attract thousands of tourists every year. Each of these cities is distinctive in its own right. For instance, Bouzaniqa city is bustling with new tourism projects, while Fas is known for being a hub for family and heritage tourism. Its architecture is both unique and elegant and the city boasts about 35 tourism installations with a capacity of 12000 beds. Other facilities viewed by the delegation included mobile tourists desert tents.

According to Nasser Al Reyami, the visit of ADTA delegation to Morocco was part of the efforts to launch a grading and licensing system for Abu Dhabi hotels and tourism firms. The new system is aimed at upgrading the performance and competence of the industry.

'Morocco was chosen as one of the benchmarks due to its steady tourism growth, which is evident in the spiraling numbers of visitors'.