Morocco and the Italian Group, Alpitour, sign a partnership agreement
12-02-2007

On Friday, February 9, Morocco and the Alpitour World, the integrated Italian Group, signed an agreement partnership in Marrakech, fixing thus, for a period of three years (2007-2010), the practical details in the field of air service and the marketing of Morocco destination in Italy by the Group.

The signature ceremony was presided over by Mr Adil Douiri, the Minister of Tourism, Handicraft and Social Economy, Mr Karim Ghellab, the Minister of Equipment and Transport, Mr Abbas Azzouzi, the Managing Director of the ONMT, and Mr Daniel Winteler, the President of Alpitour Group.

This agreement aims at:

• The promotion of different Moroccan destinations on the Italian market, according to the opening calendar of the new hotel units;
• The Tour-Operators' (TO) engagement in an air capacity, with a view to assuring the link, on a direct and regular flights, of these destinations (without passing through Casablanca 's hub).

This partnership is in line with the policy led by the Ministries of Tourism and Transport in order to introduce and promote Morocco destination among the foremost distribution networks in Europe, with a view to increasing strongly and quickly the arrivals from the priority markets of the 2010 Vision, including Italy .

The Alpitour Group, the leader of the tourist activity in Italy with 2 million customers in 2006, is noted for its integration into the whole activities of the tourist chain, namely :

• The Tour Operating by means of its 5 TO : Alpitour, Villagi, Bravo, Francorosso, Karambola and Viaggidea;
• The air transport through its own airline, Neos
• Hospitality, through its own company of hotel management called Alpitour World Hotels & Resorts;
• The distribution : managed by a network of travel agencies, comprising more than 450 sales points, called Welcome Travel Group;
• The Incoming: activity managed by Jumbo Tours;
• The incentive: activity managed by Francorosso Incentive.

The Partnership which has been initiated nowadays shows also the will of the Italian Group to push Morocco to the rank of the privileged destinations of his clientele and to become the Italian leader of the distribution of Morocco product.

Thus, the agreement provides for air services (by the Group), through his own airline "NEOS" and his partners-airlines "Atlas Blue" and "RAM", from Italy to the following destinations : Marrakech, Oujda (Saidia) and Essaouira. The capacity planned for 2007 is 33000 seats (equivalent to 3 frequencies/week); it will be brought to 53000 seats at the end of 2009 (that is 8 frequencies/week); within 3 years, the number of passengers is supposed to go from 20 000 at present to 44 000 customers later.

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