Organized by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) in partnership with Leader International Tourism Group, a major tour operator in northern China, the event brought together some 550 participants, including representatives of the Beijing Tourism Group, travel agents affiliated with Leader International Group, members of the Fengtai district government, and several journalists.
The main aim of the event was to showcase Morocco as a destination and strengthen its positioning among the Leader International Tourism Group sales force, based mainly in Beijing and northern Chinese cities. The Group anticipates significant growth in the Moroccan market, especially with the resumption of direct Casablanca-Beijing flights by Royal Air Maroc (RAM) starting January 20, 2025.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of His Majesty the King to China Abdelkader El Ansari framed the event in the context of age-old ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
In this respect, he recalled the recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kingdom, last Thursday in Casablanca, where he was received by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan.
The diplomat pointed out that Morocco’s tourism policies have made significant progress over the last fifty years, reaching a high level of maturity in terms of know-how and expertise.
The Chinese market is uniquely placed in this respect, as evidenced by the Kingdom’s decision to exempt Chinese nationals from visa formalities, the ambassador pointed out.
For his part, ONMT’s representative in Beijing Hicham Bellaziz stated that Morocco is now Africa’s leading tourist destination, with 14.9 million visitors registered by end October 2024.
He then highlighted the diversity of the Moroccan tourism offer, beyond usual destinations known to Chinese tour operators, which features cultural, artistic and sporting experiences tailored to the expectations of the Chinese market.
In turn, Chairman of Leader International Tourism Group David Coa welcomed the event as part of the increasingly close relations and friendly exchanges between Morocco and China.
Since launching its tourism activities in Morocco in 2018, Leader International Tourism Group has organized more than 1,000 tours and served tens of thousands of Chinese tourists, he said, highlighting their enthusiasm for Moroccan tourism products.
Leader International Tourism Group also plans to cooperate with Moroccan cultural institutions to organize festivals, exhibitions and other activities in favor of Chinese tourists featuring Moroccan history and culture, he added.
Participants in the event attended presentations on Morocco’s tourism potential, particularly in terms of infrastructure, the hotel offer and the Kingdom’s intangible and tangible richness, as well as the ONMT’s action plan for the period 2023-2026.
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