Morocco eyes Russian tourism market

Morocco hopes to attract Russian tourists part of its plan that aims to attract 10 million tourists by 2010.

According to Tourism ministry, Russian tourists who visited Morocco in 2004 increased 41pc to attain 11,318 visitors compared to 8,046 visitors in 2003. Yet, these figures are very low for the number of Russian tourists is estimated at 5.6 millions out of a population of 143.5 millions.

To prospect potentials and opportunities in the promising Russian tourism market, an important delegation of tourism professionals led by Director of Moroccan tourism office (ONMT), Abbas Azzouzi is visiting the Russian capital part of the 12th Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition-MITT 2005 that kicked off, here Wednesday.

On the sidelines of the fair, Azzouzi told MAP that Morocco aspires that Russia will become an alternative market in the three or five coming years noting that ONMT will launch a campaign to promote Morocco destination.

2.700 exhibitors from 70 countries are competing on the 36,000 M2 fair to attract the 125,000 Muscovites that are expected to visit the fair.