ABSTRACT

Morocco’s first tourism plan was well executed and by 2011 at the end of the plan, Morocco ranked 25th as a tourist destination globally. Morocco’s monarch, however, acted swiftly and promised some reforms to the political sector as well as to the economic well-being of the country. The tourist sector’s new “Vision 2020” also offered a strategy that concentrated on “genuineness” or authenticity to make Morocco an attractive destination. The idea of having decentralized tourist development agencies fits neatly with the larger plan of Morocco’s decentralization of its political and economic development that has emerged over the years during the reign of Mohammed VI. Morocco’s efforts to attract new tourists from China were improved when it was announced that in June 2016 Chinese tourists would no longer need a visa to enter Morocco. Morocco’s tourist leaders hope that business tourism helps Morocco to weather the vagaries of individual tourist choices and also burnish the county’s reputation.