King Mohammed VI was appointed in 1999 , he is committed to the future development of Morocco as a tourist destination. The Moroccan government have introduced “the vision 2010” program which incorporates the “Plan Azur” and focuses on improving the infrastructure and access to Morocco thereby improving it as a tourist destination. The main points of the plan are:
The objective of the vision 2010 programme is to increase tourism to a volume of 10 million international visitors a year and provide the infrastructure to ensure that Morocco has the capabilities to achieve its economic goals.
Ryanair have announced that it has made a five-year agreement with Morocco to develop up to 20 routes aimed at carrying one million passengers a year. They have said they will be making many more new route announcements in Morocco over the coming months and years as they build on the solid basis which this long term agreement provides. This news marks the culmination of discussions between the airline and the Moroccan Government which have taken place over some time. The agreement covers most of the regional airports in the country.
Moroccan properties offer extremely good value for money , the property market is booming with increases of up to 15% reachable. Property prices are highly competitive with large villas and apartments in some cases 50% cheaper than on the Costa’s. Some economists have described the property market in Morocco as similar to that of the Costa del sol 15/20 years ago.
Morocco encourages international investment and has a policy of zero property tax charges for the first 5 years. There is also a tax free period on service charge payments.
Morocco enjoys a very low cost of living compared to the European model. Low fees for Golf ,Sporting activities, Maintenance of household and holdings , and the very cheap prices for other social activities make Morocco an ideal place for the holidaymaker. The unit of currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), which is divided into 100 centimes. 1 MAD is equivalent to approx. GBP 0.06 (EUR 0.09)
Cash point machines are available in the larger towns. Currency can be exchanged at banks or official bureaux de change.
Food guide Cost
Breakfast: Coffee & patisserie (1 euro)
Fresh orange juice, coffee, baguette & apricot jam (2 euro)
Lunch: Fish plate (5 various fish) & salad (6 euro)
Pizza (3-4euro)
Sandwiches (2 euro)
Dinner: 3-course meal (5-10 euro)
Dinner: 3-course meal (£4-£10)
Over the last number of years there has been an annual increase of 15-20 % in the growth rate of tourism in Morocco , all signs point to this continuing into the near future. As part of vision 2010 the Moroccan government plan to increase its total annual number of tourists to 10 million visitors and improve infrastructure for travel and access.
Strategically located at the entrance to the Mediterranean , Morocco for several centuries served as one of the main trading points between Europe and Africa. Recently the government has implemented a successful reform program allowing the Moroccan economy to evolve at a relatively stable rhythm. Morocco can be described as a stable economy enjoying steady growth. The government continues to encourage reform, liberalization, and modernization to stimulate growth and employment. In 2004, Moroccan authorities instituted measures to boost foreign direct investment and trade by signing a free trade agreement with the US ,it plans in the future to enhance its trade agreements with Europe and the US.
The climate of Morocco is variable throughout the country. The warm almost undiscovered Mediterranean has a climate tempered on the eastern coast by southwest trade winds. The inland areas are hotter and drier, with a continental climate. In the south of Morocco, the weather is very hot and dry throughout most of the year, with the nights coolest during December and January. Rain falls from November to March on the coast. It is dry and hot in the summer with a cooler climate in the mountains. Marrakech and Agadir enjoy an average temperature of 21°C (70ºF) during the winter.
Temperatures in Tangier and Casablanca can reach, on average, 54 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Daytime temperatures are almost always much higher. In the summer, the interior cities and towns of Morocco can be stifling hot, while the Atlantic coasts are kept comfortable by moderate breezes coming in from the sea. Even in the winter, the lowlands can be extremely hot, with temperatures reaching as high as 30 degrees Celsius.