“Morocco is already a great golf destination.”
In mid-October, from 14 to 17, the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) will be held in Marrakech, the most important fair in the sector, attended by tour operators from all over the world and bringing together the most select offers in golf and international tourism.
It is the first time that this fair is held in Morocco and, without a doubt, it will be a great boost to a growing destination that is becoming more and more important every day.
There are dozens of golf courses already existing in this North African country, which will double in a very short time. Almost all of them are located in the most important tourist areas.
In Marrakech they are located on the great plateau surrounded by the eternal snows of the Atlas Mountains, in Tangier and in the north they wind through its cypress hills. In Rabat they are surrounded by forests of centenary oaks. In Agadir they coexist with the dunes; and in Meknes they reach almost to the very heart of the imperial city.
Designers such as Robert T. Jones, Cabell B. Robinson, Jack Nicklaus or Montgomerie, signed true masterpieces in unique environments.
For Mohamed Sofi, director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office for Spain, the fact that this year’s IGTM will be held in Morocco will be a great boost for the country as a golf destination. “After the many golf tournaments that have been organized there, such as the Hassan II Trophy, the solidarity tournament between two continents, which we organized with the Real Madrid Foundation, and many others, I believe that the IGTM in Marrakech will be a milestone.
“Morocco,” he continues, “is in a position to show the world that it has world-class golf courses in different areas of the country designed by prestigious architects and figures with a long track record and prestige in the world of golf.”
“This sport,” he explains, “began in Morocco more than a hundred years ago, in Tangier, and today there are tens of thousands of practitioners in our country, and we have also become a great golf tourist destination for fans from all over the world. It is a very attractive destination because the courses, very good, are located in areas of Morocco that can also offer exoticism, a different culture and a contrast of landscapes that make them unique”.
“Perhaps,” Sofi continues, “Moroccan camps may look like others in any other country, but what sets our destination apart from others is the ambiance, the cultural environment, the alternative activities that can be done…. the Moroccan “touch”, the hospitality, the exquisite care of the service…. All this is an added value, in addition to the climate, the variety of landscapes and, of course, the great value for money.
On the other hand, coming as a family is another great attraction; those who do not play can take advantage of the opportunity to visit the souks of our cities, buy handicrafts…. They can feel at home in every corner of Morocco.
-How many golf courses are there in Morocco?
-More than forty. We have doubled the number of camps in a very short time, and in a few years we will double them again. They are concentrated mainly in Marrakech, Agadir, Meknes, Casa Blanca, Tangier and the Atlantic Coast. Many of them are part of luxury resorts of large international chains. The variety is enormous. New courses will be built in Saidia, on the Mediterranean coast, in Larache, near Tetouan, on the Atlantic coast as far as Agadir and also in the south of the country.
“Now that Morocco,” adds the director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office for Spain, “has become a recognized and consolidated golf destination that attracts golfers from all over the world, especially Europe, there has been great interest among national and international investors to develop new projects that can meet European demand.”
“We have a very important market next door,” he says, “which is Spain that we want to pay a lot of attention to, especially now that we have great flight facilities between different parts of the peninsula and Marrakech, and other areas of the country. Just an hour and a half by plane and you can be playing in a very different environment. We are so close and yet so far away culturally…!
-Why has Morocco focused on golf as one of its main tourist attractions?
-Our country has a great tourist offer. I would say we have it all: landscapes, monumental cities, a different culture, 3,500 kms of coastline, climate… But we have wanted to diversify our offer and golf is, for sure, one of the best options to do so. That is why we have made such a strong commitment to hold the IGTM in Marrakech.
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