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Sun Spot Travel Scenario

You work for "sun spot travel", a tour operator which specializes in holidays to the Mediterranean. market research has shown the company that most of its client are in the 18-35 age group and that they are divided evenly into single people and married couples without children.to date "sun spot travel" has limited its holidays to spain, the south of france, italy,greece and turkey, but is now considering expanding its brochure to include Morocco.

Your manager has been asked by the directors of the company to prepare a report outlining the case for and against offering holidays in morocco. she has asked you to collaborate with her on this report and as a first step to prepare a detailed set of notes on the background to the country. she will use these as the basis for the report she will write.

GENERAL BACKGROUND TO MOROCCO

Morocco is perhaps one of the only North African nations that has been occupied by a single group of people through its history - the Berbers. Even today, they make up approximately 44 per cent of all inhabitants in the country. Morocco has always been at the centre of interest from the days of the Romans to the Arabs, followed by the French, Germans and the Spanish. It is strategically located at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, which is accessible to much of the Western world. To add to that, it is also immensely rich in natural resources such as minerals etc. As a part of its tourist trade, it has built up an impressive manifest of goods that range from leather to beautifully decorated rugs, to woodwork and jewellery.

Whilst Morocco is a haven for many tourists with its old world charms and romantic insinuations of life during the ancient times, more recently, it has been plagued by territorial disputes over the region of Western Sahara. All tourists are warned not to venture into the disputed area of the Sahara as it faces political instability and lawlessness. However, that should not dissuade travellers from visiting the beautiful cities of Marrakech and Fes and not to mention the popular port town of Tangier.

TRANSPORT TO DESTINATION

Morocco is very well connected by air from all international destinations with more frequent connectivity from countries within the EU. It has 4 international airports in the cities of Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakesh, each self sufficient in its own right and links very well with nearby smaller towns and cities.

It is also very well connected by road from Spain where bringing your own vehicle into the country is not a very complicated process. There are car ferry services that operate between Algericas in Spain to both Tangier and Ceuta in Morocco. Driving one’s own vehicle into the country has its advantages of increased mobility since hiring cars can get very expensive.

TRANSPORT WITHIN COUNTRY

Once in, there are a number of internal flights that operate between cities which saves time considering distance can be fairly large between destinations.

In addition, the national railways of Morocco operate services between all major cities and are reasonably well connected. The trains themselves offer sleeping facilities making the journey more comfortable than buses. Not to mention, Morocco has one of the most modern railway systems in all of North Africa – the trains are comfortable and quick between routes. Once the trains connect the major cities, buses operate virtually within all other cities and this system runs in parallel with a fairly efficient taxi system. The taxi services operate through a shared system of picking up passengers along the way while transiting between two destinations. It is important to remember though that the hiring of cars can work out to be extremely expensive and unadvisable especially since the country-side is dotted with police check posts and insecure territories in certain pockets.

ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE

Accommodation is available in all grades of hotels from bed & breakfasts right up to 5 star hotels in most of the larger cities. The peak season is between September and April when the temperatures are not at the highest. The only real inflow of tourists during the summer months is the Arabs and domestic tourists from within the country.

WINTER/SUMMER HOLIDAY POTENTIAL

Morocco cannot be considered as a summer getaway simply because it is too hot. But after the month of October, the temperatures are favourable for tourists with highs of 30 degrees Celsius and lows of 15 degrees at night. The cool temperate climate lasts till the months of March-April following which the temperatures again pick up to being very hot. Interestingly enough, Morocco also has ski attractions in the winter months. The Atlas Mountains host skiing facilities between the months of December and March. In the summer months, the same mountains host trekking facilities for enthusiastic trekkers. The climate in the hills at this time offers cool weather high above the blistering plains below. It can be said in fairness that a lot of the tourist trade which find their way to the beaches of Spain and Portugal wont be able to venture into Morocco for the same luxuries. Instead, tourists who prefer travelling during the non-summer months would find Morocco more to their liking.

ATTRACTIONS

Rabat
Besides being the capital city, it showcases two different cultures – the Islamic influence over the centuries as well as the European history of the city. It is an interesting mix of cultures with the historical past blending into the more contemporary present. The more sought after structures within the city are the different citadels from the 12th century.

Casablanca
The city that was made famous by the movie - but unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its expectations. Today, it has grown from a sleepy town in the earlier days to a busting industrial town making it the largest city in the country. At the same time, from a travellers’ perspective, the medina or the ancient quarters is still worth visiting. The city also houses one of the oldest mosques in the world - the Hassan II Mosque.

Fes
This is the oldest of all the cities in Morocco and perhaps one of the most breathtaking. It has old medieval structures and gives one the feeling of living in the medieval times.

Marrakech
Another interesting city that looks like it has been created out of a storybook. The souqs (markets) and the streets are dotted with snake charmers, magicians, acrobats and other performers just as one would have observed in a movie. In addition, there are a large number of reasonably priced hotels that make travelling around the city very easy.

Tangier
Due to the fact that Tangier was part of a neutral international zone for many years, it got the reputation of being a city without too many restrictions. Western tourists flock to this city to get a taste of what used to be a haven for seedy deals and strange unhindered lifestyles.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Morocco is certainly an attractive tourist destination. It has generous sunshine and good weather most of the year round excepting summers when it does it get too hot - a prerequisite for most Western tourists who are looking for a sunny getaway. It is also situated very conveniently just south of Spain and is very accessible by both air and surface transport. One of the main attractions for tourists would be the low-priced cost of goods such as rugs and textiles in addition to the consistent Mediterranean weather.

At the same time, it is advisable that foreign tourists do not venture towards the Western borders of the country close to the Western Sahara area, which is under dispute. Tourist groups can remain within the confines of the larger cities, which offer adequate tourist facilities such as good economical hotels, transportation systems, and plenty of locales that are world treasures ranging from the High Atlas mountain ranges to the Tioute Palmery that is renowned for its oasis at the edge of the mountains. In addition, being eclipsed by sea on one side, Morocco has a beautiful coastline that provides a Mediterranean flavour to many holidaymakers. At the same time, one must remember that the tourist facilities are not as well equipped as some other places and can pose certain difficulties to the discerning traveller.


SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Most of the books on Morocco had outdated information except from a historical perspective. This was primarily due to the highly politicised disputes that the country still finds itself going through. One of the more accurate representations of the country was through the “Lonely Planet” – considered to be one of the best international guidebooks for travellers. In addition, various websites on travelling to Morocco was referred to re-validate the information and gain further insights into the country.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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