Morocco Sees Surge in Chinese Tourism After Visa Exemption

It was on the sidelines of the signing of a partnership protocol between the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) and the Chinese Travel Agency, CTrip, that El Othmani declared that the Kingdom expects even more Chinese tourists in the future.

Indeed, about 180,000 of them visited Morocco in 2018, while before the visa exemption for Chinese nationals, the annual average was 20,000, according to the Xinhua Agency, citing data from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.

Morocco, through its Head of Government, believes that the tourism links between the two countries are of great importance and could strengthen the foundations of a strengthening of bilateral relations.

It is in this sense that the agreement signed with CTrip, China’s largest online travel agency, is a boon if Morocco wants to increase the flow of Chinese tourists.

The protocol signed by Adel El Fakir, Director General of the ONMT, and James Liang, Executive Chairman of CTrip, is for 3 years and aims to increase the visibility of Morocco in China as a preferred tourist destination for the Chinese. Negotiations are also underway to connect Casablanca and Beijing through direct flights.