São Paulo – Morocco has bold plans for attracting tourists from Brazil. The Arab country was visited by 22,000 Brazilians last year, is expecting 26,000 to 27,000 this year and wants to welcome 100,000 four years from now. So said the CEO of Morocco’s National Tourist Office for Portugal and Brazil, Abdellatif Achachi, who spoke to journalists at the event Marrocos, o despertar dos sentidos (Morocco, the awakening of senses) taking place until Sunday (29th) in São Paulo’s Conjunto Nacional gallery.
The event includes concerts by a Moroccan band, Arab calligraphy, henna tattoos and a photo exhibit, among other attractions. The goal is precisely to familiarize the public with what Morocco has to offer as a tourist destination. To this end, the Moroccan government has sent artists and a team for the exhibit. The idea was to create a setting reminiscent of the overall feel of Morocco.
Achachi said he was expecting a 30% increase in Brazilian tourist numbers this year, but the current scenario in Brazil makes that unlikely. By the end of August, tourist influx from Brazil was up roughly 15%, according to the executive. Nevertheless, he stresses that the expected increase is a very good one. Tourism from Brazil is on the rise, and is set to grow even further as a result of a Moroccan strategy of drawing closer to tour operators, partnering with the carrier Royal Air Maroc and carrying out actions in Brazil.
Brazil will be one of the top issuers of tourists to Morocco this year, in spite of the unstable social scenario due to the latest terror attacks. None took place in Morocco, but the country will likely not see tourist influx go up in 2015. In 2014, 11 million people visited Morocco, a number expected to be matched or decline slightly this year, Achachi believes.
In addition to Brazil, the number of Morocco-bound tourists from Scandinavia, China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom are expected to go up. Questioned as to whether Brazilians are not giving up travelling to Morocco due to package prices, Achachi replied that his country is not an expensive destination. “Seven nights and seven days cost approximately USD 1,500 (airfares included). It’s really cheap,” the CEO said, considering the distance between the two countries. Royal Air Maroc flies three times a week between Brazil and Morocco and is expected to increase frequency to four flights in June 2016, according to Achachi.
He told journalists about what Morocco has to offer, including a 3,500 km coastline, a cultural heritage dating back to 1,000-plus years, imperial cities, the desert and other features. He also emphasized that the country offers stability and safety.
The event at Conjunto Nacional in São Paulo gives passersby the feeling of actually being in a market or a busy street in the Arab country. An exhibit of photos by Brazil’s Thais Ghussn portrays daily life in Morocco, including the streets of Marrakech with their color-filled outfits and buildings, the fortress in Essaouira, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the desert sky, the packed Jemaa El Fna square, the colorful babouche shoes.
In a tent, the calligrapher Filali Baba, sumptuously clad as an Arab gentleman, writes the name of people who line up down the hall at Conjunto Nacional. In other tents, snacks are served, a lady gives henna tattoos, an artisan works on his craft, and a slender young Moroccan man serves tea. In Morocco, visitors are always welcomed over tea. When it’s playing, the band El Messaoudi gives visitors a first-hand experience of what it’s like to be in a Moroccan city.
Other attractions include the travel agency Agaxtur offering its tour packages, and a parade of caftans (traditional Moroccan attire) by designer Jihane Archtal. Some actions, like the parade, only take place at set times. According to Achachi, this event will probably take place again in Brazil next year, this time in Rio de Janeiro.
Morocco, the awakening of the senses
November 23rd to 29th (Monday through Sunday)
From 10am to 7pm
Conjunto Nacional
Av. Paulista, 2073 – Consolação, São Paulo
All activities are free of charge, except the henna tattoo, which costs BRL 10
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
