The boom of Chinese tourists in Morocco confirmed in 2018

In the first five months of the year, nearly 100,000 Chinese tourists visited the kingdom under the visa waiver introduced in 2016. An influx that benefits the Chinese restaurants that are multiplying in the cities of the kingdom
« Since Morocco announced visa-free travel for Chinese citizens in June 2016, the number of Chinese tourists to Morocco has increased rapidly and the boom is far from over, » reports Global Times.

According to the representative office of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) in China, 120,000 Chinese nationals visited the kingdom in 2017. But in the first five months of this year, that number has already reached 100,000.

Chinese restaurants in Morocco are among the first beneficiaries of the massive influx of Chinese tourists.
Liu Mei, owner of a Chinese restaurant in Rabat, told the Xinhua agency that after the visa exemption for Chinese citizens, the number of Chinese tourists in his restaurant has increased considerably. In 2017, the restaurant’s turnover doubled compared to the previous year.

Huang Zhiyong, a restaurateur in Casablanca, said his restaurant was also doing good business. Currently, it receives an average of 6,000 clients per month, 70% of whom are Chinese tourists and businessmen.

Before the visa exemption for Chinese citizens, the number of Chinese restaurants in Morocco was no more than five. At present, the number has risen to over 20.

CHINESE TOUR OPERATORS SATISFIED WITH THE TREND
As a well-known Chinese travel agency in Morocco, AMC Voyages is very optimistic about the tourism market in Morocco. Its director, Lin Chaoxin, told Xinhua that since the launch of the visa waiver policy in June 2016, Chinese tourists have shown growing interest in visiting Morocco. In 2018, the number of Chinese tourists received by AMC Voyages should double compared to 2016.

He said Morocco has unique tourism resources and that the number of Chinese travelers in the kingdom over the next decade will continue to increase. A trend confirmed by China’s ambassador to Morocco, Li Li Li, who said that since Morocco’s visa exemption for Chinese citizens, the number of Chinese tourists has increased significantly, ranking first in the growth of foreign tourists in the kingdom.

Li said that 2018, marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of its diplomatic relations, China and Morocco « will seize the opportunity to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, including tourism.

Hundreds of Chinese are employed in the tourism industry in Morocco. Zhang Kai, an Arabic language graduate from Beijing Foreign Studies University, who has been working in the sector in Morocco for two years, believes that the influx of Chinese tourists should continue.