Morrocco is a very well loved destination. Just ask the experts. Such as Hicham Belhadfa, Managing Director of S’Tours. We speak about all exciting things – and the challenges – going on in Morocco.
By Tijn Kramer
Please be so kind to introduce your DMC?
We have been around for a little bit over 40 years to be more exact. We are one of the longest standing DMC’s in the destination. We also organize congresses and events. We have organized the largest congresses and events that have taken place in the country. The latest one was in October 2023, where we proudly organized the IMF and the World Bank annual assembly for about 14,000 people. Today, in 2024, we are one of the biggest longest-standing leisure companies or tour operators in this country. We bring in somewhere between 18 to 20 thousand clients a year.
What markets are important?
Our main markets, in general, are the European markets for the reasons that are obvious – proximity. Morocco is very close to Europe, history, culture, a lot of things that we share. So leisure has worked really well for us in Europe. Other markets like Asia also work really well, and North America, but not at the same scale as the European market, of course. We are also into business travel. We represent American Express Global Business Travel in Morocco. We have been representing them now for exactly 20 years. We are their preferred suppliers for meetings and events as well. We are also the official company for the Moroccan Federation of football. What you saw in the World Cup last year, that was us.
We know Marrakech is very popular, but can you tell me a bit about the rest of the Morocco landscape.
Marrakech now is indeed like its own brand. I think Marrakech is in competition with Morocco. Marrakech is so well-known in the world to where people now when they think Morocco, they think Marrakech first. Marrakech is a city that has been developed in that sense to make sure it’s a city that has the infrastructure ready for incentives. But Fez is also a city where incentives can be done. Fez is one of the oldest cities in the world. We’re talking about 13th century’s old. Fez used to be the capital of Morocco. Fez is a city where the first ever university and library in the world were built. It is a city where you can go to the desert, to the has the uh the largest old medina in the world. Agadir also is a city that can be used! Beautiful with a lot of luxury hotels that can accommodate incentives as well. And tangier is another city that will surprise. And do you know it only takes two hours to get from Tangier to Casablanca by high speed train, versus five hours a couple of years ago. How is Morocco doing as a destination? Tourism is booming. Morocco is doing really well. We enjoy political and economical stability compared to a lot of countries around us. So we’re very proud of that.
There really seems a buzz around Morocco…
Yeah, there is. I have to agree with you. Morocco is between an hour and three hours away from most European capitals. That’s a huge plus. When you’re in Europe and you want to do something completely different, completely exotic, then you travel to Morocco. But you’re traveling to a different continent. Very exotic. So, of course, we feel that Morocco in the last probably seven to ten years, we have taken advantage of what happened around us, of all the Arab springs, of all the instability around us. So Morocco probably did a great job staying stable through all of that. Offering that stability and safety that clients are looking for. Yeah. And then we have a very good tourism promotion office that’s doing a great job, especially during COVID and after COVID.
Morocco is hosting the Africa Cup in 2025 and then co-hosting the World Cup in 2030. That must give the Moroccan population a great sense of pride, I imagine.
It does. It does. It just shows that we’ve come a long way to where now we got the trust of probably one of the highest authorities of organizing large events to trust us and give us this honor of organizing an event this big where you have people from all over the world coming here and exploring Morocco. It also gives the Moroccans the pride in a sense where it pushes you to do better. The infrastructure has to be really where it needs to be, really quickly. We’re talking in terms of transportation, hotels, accommodation in general. So Morocco now, anywhere you go, you’re going to find construction. Working really hard on it to be ready.
Can you tell me a bit about Moroccan cuisine?
It’s something that we’re very, very proud of here in Morocco. We take our food seriously. We love it. Yeah. We’re known for having a lot of appetizers. And we have great wines. There are important wineries and there are a few of them in Morocco. In the Casablanca region and we have a couple also in central country near Meknes, that are really well known.
All in all, things are changing a lot in Morocco?
I think that we changed a lot in a sense where we we love Morocco very much. That’s what changed in Morocco: we’re not ashamed to say it now and to say that we love our country and we’re engaged in all these changes. Changes that we see around us when, we see the leadership of the country, we see how engaged they are and how much they work and what they have done. It also gives us a sense of pride and to engage and to get behind that and to do our part. Morocco is an old country from but also with a younger generation that wants to show the world that we’re capable of doing great things.
(This was previously published in fall 2024 in MICE Benelux)
