Domestic tourism constitutes a priority axis of the «2010 Vision». Indeed, the Implementation Agreement of the Framework Agreement, which outlines the big orientations contained in the Royal Speeches during the National Conferences of Marrakech dated January10, 2001 as well as those of Agadir held on February14, 2003 , provides for a strategy dedicated to the promotion of domestic tourism.
In fact, the objective of this strategy is to increase the number of holiday travels to 2 million in 2010 instead of 1,1 million in 2003, to tip a part of the demand into the formal sales and marketing and to increase the number of overnight stays at classified national tourist accommodation establishments so as to reach 6 million additional overnight stays between now and 2010. In order to meet this new demand, it is recommended that an additional accommodation capacity be developed to reach 42 000 beds by the year 2010.
These objectives will be accomplished through an action plan which will work at two levels :
At the level of distribution, by means of what is called Kounouz Biladi promotional operations with 6 operations conducted between 2003 and 2005 as well as the putting in place of a modern and innovative distribution circuit within the framework of co-marketing contracts signed between the ONMT and 3 accredited travel agencies.
At the level of product, through the consolidation of the existing tourist areas, the rehabilitation of campings and the creation of 5 new campings with international norms ,the upgrading of holiday Villages of COS type (Committee of Social Work) by their classification and their opening to the public and finally by launching what is called the Biladi Plan which is likely to develop new products adapted to the national tourist.
The Biladi Plan
The Biladi Plan is aimed at creating new integrated tourist areas with a total capacity of 30 000 beds including 11 000 beds in hotel residences (horizontal and vertical) and 19 000 beds in campings.
The different areas in question have a surface area which varies between 25 and 45 Ha and require, as regards their accomplishment, an investment amount of about 200 million DH . With a view to receiving them, 8 regions of Morocco with a strong potential have been selected further to the results of in-depth studies on the national tourist's behaviour and expectations, namely the Oriental, Fez-Meknes-Ifrane, Tangier-Tetouan, Rabat-Sale-Gharb, Grand Casablanca, Doukkala-Abda, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz and Souss-Massa- Daraa.
The allocation of sites to developers will be carried out by means of invitations to tender and it is based on a win/win partnership principle between the Government and the private investor. In fact, the latter will take in charge the total development and the management of the area ; in return, the Government contributes to funding off-site infrastructures, puts at the disposal of the developer real-estate services, at an attractive price, and takes part in the promotion of the area through an efficient marketing plan elaborated by the ONMT.
The invitation to tender for the development of the first three selected areas, namely that of Sidi Abed (El Jadida), of Imi Ouaddar (Agadir) and that of Ifrane, has already been launched in Jully 2007 and it is expected that the results of the candidates'grading will be forwarded in February 2008.
