Morocco
Morocco foresees growth in tourism industry

afrol News, 20 February - As trends again have turned from red to black numbers, one now foresees a significant growth in Morocco's tourism industry. Only until 2010, government expects the creation of 10,000 new jobs within the sector.

After the terrorist attack on the United States, Morocco's tourism industry has experienced a blow to its growth rate, which only now is starting to normalise. 

As optimism is returning, authorities expect annual tourism arrivals from abroad to reach 10 million by 2010. Given the large constructions started and planned, creating the basis for a substantial growth in arrivals, the Moroccan government expects the sector will create 72,000 new jobs by 2010.

The Moroccan tourism industry is well prepared for the expected growth, also concerning the training of the new work force. Throughout the country, there is a total of 47 centres, most of the privately owned, providing formal education within the realm of tourism. Only 16 of these are state-owned.

The year 2010 is also when Moroccan authorities expect most of the started giant projects within the tourism sector to be finished. This in particular includes the construction of the new port facilities outside Tangier - the main ferry connection with Europe - and the construction of several new destinations and hotel complexes. A government strategy, known as "Vision 20102", includes investments of euro 50 million to increase capacity to receive 10 million tourist annually.

The new numbers were presented by Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Adil Duiri, at a tourism seminar in Agadir, the most visited destination in the North African country.

The seminar further mainly concentrated on the new harbour facilities in Tangier, which has turned out a project of much prestige for the government. In addition to create new jobs, the facility is to attract export oriented industry, ease Moroccan companies' access to European markets and increase the traffic between North Africa and Europe.

King Mohammed VI earlier this himself opened the construction works at the new port facilities. According to the Moroccan news agency MAP, which is close to the royals, the Tangier project was "the first public works of essential importance that have been started during the reign of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI."

The port facility, which has been given the name "Tangier of the Mediterranean", lies at 35 kilometres east of the city Tangier, but only 15 kilometres south of Europe, divided by the Strait of Gibraltar.

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