Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #38

AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
TRENDING DESTINATIONS
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
BOOSTS
ARRIVALS - AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
TOURISM INCREASINGLY
IMPORTANT TO MOROCCO’S
DEVELOPMENT
Tourism Morocco has revealed
that tourism is increasingly being
considered by senior officials as a
strategic sector to promote economic
development.
With global tourism demand
accounting for 11.4% of national
GDP, Tourism Morocco says that
the travel industry contributes
significantly to creating wealth and
reducing unemployment and poverty.
The sector is also a major provider of
employment, accounting for 515,000
direct jobs in 2016 (2017 data is not
yet available) - around 5% of the total
jobs in the country.
Tourism Morocco said that the
country’s tourism industry ended
2016 on a positive note, strengthened
Mayotte has “taken the helm” of
the Indian Ocean’s Vanilla Islands
project.
The Vanilla Islands grouping was
created in August 2010 to promote
and market tourism in the Indian
Ocean under a common brand.
The President of the Departmental
Council of Mayotte, Soibahadine
by the results achieved during the
latter months. Non-resident tourist
arrivals totalled 10.3 million, a 1.5%
increase compared to 2015.
Classified bed capacity also rose, with
11,290 additional beds available in
2016
Garden, Bahia Palace,
Marrakesh
MAYOTTE TAKES LEADERSHIP
OF VANILLA ISLANDS
Ibrahim Ramadani, was handed over
the mandate to lead the regional
grouping on February 8, 2018, thus
assuming the rotating presidency of
the Vanilla Islands, taking over from
the Comoros, which was leading
the organisation for the past year.
Mayotte is the last among the
six member states to assume the
presidency of the organisation
© HBL
Jean-Marie
Somet
General Director,
Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme
2017 was an excellent year for tourism
in the west African nation, according to
Jean-Marie Somet, General Director of
Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme.
“We welcomed around 1.5 million tourists
last year boosted by international events
such as Jeux de la Francophonie, or the 5th
Summit African Union-European Union.
These events proved that confidence is back
for our destination,” he said during an ITB
Berlin press conference.
A major upcoming tourism opportunity for
Côte d’Ivoire will be the hosting of the Africa
Cup of Nations in 2021. “It will help boost
our infrastructure by creating new roads,
stadiums and construct hotels,” said Somet.
Confidence in the destination is reflected
in the high number of hotel projects by
international chains such as Radisson Blu,
Hilton, Azalai or Mövenpick. In terms of
air transport, Côte d’Ivoire just signed an
agreement with Spain to have direct flights.
New airlines starting to link Abidjan this
year are TAP Portugal to Lisbon, as well as
Ethiopian Airlines to New York.
Professionals will be able to learn more about
Côte d’Ivoire achievements by participating
in SITA, the International Tourism Exhibition
of Abidjan. Hosted from April 27 to May 1,
this travel show welcomes 25 countries, 260
exhibitors and 45,000 visitors. It is the largest
travel exhibition organised in West Africa