Marrakech and Morocco in 2030
Martin Vitte, Sales Director of the Park Hyatt Marrakech - "In 2024, Morocco became the leading African country in terms of tourist arrivals, overtaking Egypt. And it wants to keep growing, with luxury hotel brands playing a key role in this expansion. To raise the country's profile, Morocco is above all pursuing a sports policy based around its national team, offering opportunities for tourism and business. From the end of the year, the hosting of the African Cup of Nations, for which the Marrakech stadium has been renovated, will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2030 World Cup. The future Hassan II stadium in Casablanca will be the largest stadium on the continent, with a capacity even greater than that of Barcelona's Camp Nou.
In this context, Marrakech is experiencing an incredible dynamic. The road infrastructure to access the city will be upgraded in preparation for these events. Changes are already underway at the airportThis will allow for mass arrivals with smoother baggage checks and customs clearance. The number of fast track lines has also been limited, even though this service was no longer really a service in the long run, as everyone was buying them. At the same time, the drop-off zone has been enlarged. Taxis have been regulated, with fixed prices depending on the final destination. Everyone is feeling a marked improvement, whether in Marrakech, Casablanca or elsewhere. All these changes have done nothing but raise the profile of the city and the country in the run-up to these key events.
Continued growth in tourism
MR V. - "The effect of the earthquake in September 2023 was quickly absorbed, with the wave of cancellations receding within a month and a half, while a wave of new cancellations was recorded. a rarely seen surge of solidarity has enabled the mountainous region, which was hardest hit, to recover. What has had a greater impact on tourism, and which is still topical, is the aftermath of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the past, there were three direct flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech, but these have been suspended since October 2023 and have yet to resume. Americans are also coming in smaller numbers, both because of the conflict in the Middle East and the domestic situation.
However, Marrakech can count on an incredible pool of customers. There is less and less seasonality, with tourist activity almost year-round. In summer, the clientele is less international, made up mainly of Moroccans living abroad, but the rest of the time, it's very cosmopolitan. Not to mention the European clientele, more and more Chinese are coming to Morocco, particularly business delegations, thanks to the flights launched from Beijing and Shanghai to Casablanca. The Middle Eastern business clientele is also important for Marrakech, as is the African clientele, with investors coming from Ghana and Nigeria.
As a result, many companies want to serving the destination. At the end of last year, United Airlines launched a direct flight from New York and Delta will soon be inaugurating a flight from Atlanta to Marrakech. From London, you have a dozen daily connections and eight from Paris with three Air France and three Transavia flights, plus one Vueling and one easyJet flight. Not to mention the regional services from Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice and Strasbourg. Only in Germany have services to Marrakech not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, with Frankfurt, unlike Munich, not having a daily flight again.
For professional events, the destination offers an ideal meeting point for events bringing together participants from all over Europe, while remaining within the confines of the city. within the three-hour flight time limit. "
Marrakech, a growing MICE destination
MR V. - "Convention business is growing with more and more international events These include the World Bank General Assembly in 2023 and the Interpol General Assembly next November. The GITEX tech fair, held in Dubai, has been holding its African edition there since 2023.
But the destination is above all popular for meetings and incentives. This is particularly true on the domestic front, with many companies from Casablanca and Rabat organising their board meetings and seminars in Marrakech, a 2h30/3h drive away. As for the incentive clientele, they come mainly from Europe and the United States, but there are also visitors from Asia and Australia.
To satisfy this need, the destination offers a whole range of activities nearbyThese range from Berber dinners at the gateway to the desert, to hot-air balloon rides and hikes in the Atlas mountains or along the Ourika river. Not to mention all the sporting activities, particularly golf, or cultural activities in the medina or the Majorelle gardens.
The Park Hyatt Marrakech, tailor-made for business events
MR V. - "I think our hotel offers the ideal level of comfort for a successful event. Located just fifteen minutes from the medina, but far from its hustle and bustle, it is a haven of peace that forms part of the Al Maaden complex, which includes a golf course, private residences and a contemporary museum, MACAAL. All set in 7.5 hours of land with a view of the Atlas Mountains.
Business customers will find a complete experienceWe can offer a 48-hour programme without having to leave the resort, using the terraces, the botanical garden, privatising one or other of our restaurants, or using the golf course for team-building activities. Unless, of course, companies choose to spend an evening out, whether it's a dinner and show or couscous in the Hivernage district, or watching the sun set at Agafay before a Berber evening.
In total, the Park Hyatt Marrakech offers 130 rooms and suiteswith terrace or balcony, in 16 pavilions ranging from 7 to 12 units. These pavilions can be privatised to give a private touch to the event, with a butler service available and different categories of rooms and suites to suit the hierarchical levels of the company.
But, for professional events, we especially have a pavilion entirely dedicated to MICE with seven seminar rooms ranging from 50 to 80 m², a foyer and its own restaurant. This 'meeting residence' is just as well suited to seminars and executive committees as it is to product launches and incentive breaks that only need a room for a couple of hours for the kick-off of the event.
For customers looking for a larger capacity, we have built a structure right next door, the Orion room, which can seat over 450 people for dinners or seminars in a plenary room. We celebrated our first year in business in July and the hotel has found its clientele, with a mix of 75% leisure and 25 % business guests today. this share is expected to grow with the opening of this Orion room in April. In the meantime, we're looking forward to the launch of the largest ballroom in Marrakech's luxury hotels, which will eventually replace this semi-temporary room.
Will the future Park Hyatt ballroom be a "game changer"?
MR V. - "It wasn't in the original business plan, but we saw it as a great opportunity to meet existing demand. Today, among luxury hotels, the Four Seasons, the Fairmont and La Mamounia all offer plenary rooms ranging from 400 to 600 m². By 2026, we will be offering a 1000 m² plenary sessionThis will be a game changer for the destination. This should be a game-changer for the destination, able to attract major events that until now have focused on the Palais des Congrès and the adjoining Mövenpick, the only one in Marrakech to have a plenary hall of over 1,000 m². We will therefore be offering an additional solution for events of 500 people or more. And, as we only have 130 rooms, there will be transfers to other hotels. This will benefit the whole destination.
