São Paulo – The number of Brazilians travelling to Morocco is growing every year and should increase further. The Moroccan National Tourist Office is attending the 43rd Abav – International Tourism Expo in São Paulo, Brazil to advertise its landmark sites and leisure options in a bid to lure in more operators and tourists. The goal of Moroccan authorities is to keep Brazilian visitor numbers increasing. The exhibition ends on Saturday (26th).
According to the Moroccan National Tourist Office’s joint director Fouad Bouchama, since Royal Air Maroc resumed flying to Brazil in December 2013, Brazilian tourist numbers in Morocco are growing at 35% a year. Last year, they were 27,000. Morocco welcomes over 10 million foreigners each year, most of them hailing from France, Spain, Italy and Russia.
Royal Air Maroc flew Casablanca-Rio de Janeiro flights up until 1991. In 2013, the airline went back to flying the Casablanca-São Paulo route twice a week. Early this year, frequency was increased to three-a-week.
According to Royal Air Maroc’s CEO in Brazil, Mehdi El Yaalaoui, the airline is expanding its fleet in order to increase frequency to São Paulo. By the end of June 2016, four flights should be flown each week. In September of next year, an additional aircraft should be added to the route. The airline plans on eventually having daily flights to Brazil.
According to Bouchama, Morocco is investing on tourists from Brazil because the country shows promise and because usually, Brazilians who travel to the Arab country often go to other destinations in the same trip. The promotional actions being undertaken by the Tourist Office include tours for journalists and tour operators.
“Brazilians usually take long trips, and a unique thing about them is the fact that they always visit several destinations in a single trip. Whenever they visit Morocco, they often go to France, Spain or Italy as well. It’s an opportunity for us to attract more Brazilians,” Bouchama told ANBA on Friday (25th) at the Abav’s Moroccan stand. He said Brazilians always want to see the imperial cities of Fes and Marrakesh, as well as the desert.
Bouchama said the ongoing economic crisis in Brazil, which has repercussions on tourism because of the high dollar, is a challenge. Still, it shouldn’t detract from Morocco’s plans. “Some 80% of our hospitality and tourism infrastructure consists of four- and five-star hotels, with no relevant focus on mass tourism packages. Therefore, I don’t think the impact will be that great,” he pondered.
UAE
North Tours, a Dubai-based operator, is also attending the Abav. Its relations manager, Renata Masf, said demand for packages for the United Arab Emirates is lower than last year’s, but good nonetheless.
“The exchange rate is causing demand for international destinations to deflate somewhat, but the United Arab Emirates are an exotic destination, and its strategic location ensures a good performance in spite of the market slump,” Masf said. She remarked that many of the visitors in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are business tourists or passengers who fly into airports in the region for layovers to Asia. Because of this, even the high price of the US dollar relative to Brazil’s real has no relevant impact on demand for travel packages.
“The destination is a good one both as a final stop or for people who are moving on, because ticket prices are the same, and if someone wants to spend a few more days in the UAE, they will only have to pay for the hotel, which is not expensive. However, it’s true that demand from leisure tourists has dwindled because of the market glut,” said North Tours’ market development manager for Latin America, Alexandre Pires.
Another Arab country with its own stand at the event is Palestine. On Thursday (24th), the Palestinian minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Rula Maayaa, attended the exhibition’s opening ceremony.
43rd Abav – International Tourism Expo
Anhembi Exhibition Pavilion
Avenida Olavo Fontoura, 1.209, Santana, São Paulo – São Paulo
Until Saturday (26th), from 12pm to 8pm
Additional information: www.abavexpo.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
