Essaouira Takes Center Stage at IFTM Top Resa 2026
The Marrakech Regional Tourism Council (CRT) and the Provincial Tourism Council of Essaouira are collaborating on a concerted promotional effort aimed at elevating Essaouira's profile in the French market. With a dedicated stand highlighting the "Cité des Alizés," the 2026 edition of IFTM Top Resa is offering Essaouira a unique platform that reflects its burgeoning tourism dynamics and evolving investment opportunities.
From September 15 to 17, the CRT Marrakech and the CPT Essaouira joined forces with the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) and various Moroccan operators at the prestigious IFTM Top Resa event held in Paris-Porte de Versailles. A significant feature of this year's event is ONMT's special recognition of Essaouira, coinciding with a fortuitous moment for the destination, which is entering a new phase of tourism development.
André Azoulay, advisor to His Majesty the King, attended the inauguration alongside Samira Sitail, Morocco's ambassador to France, Achraf Fayda, the director general of ONMT, and Redwane Khanne, president of the CPT Essaouira. Azoulay expressed his delight at Essaouira's recognition by ONMT, describing it as a historic moment for the city that is experiencing unprecedented momentum.
Historic Momentum and Strategic Developments
According to Azoulay, the historic significance of this period is driven by several converging factors. The recently concluded summer season saw Essaouira welcoming an unprecedented influx of visitors, which he remarked had "exploded all records." This surge in tourism coincides with a progressive enhancement of the city’s accessibility, exemplified by the new direct flight route from Nantes to Essaouira operated by easyJet for the 2026-2027 winter season, which enhances the air connectivity between France and the Cité des Alizés.
Moreover, the recent confirmation of a high-speed train (TGV) service connecting Essaouira to Marrakech is considered a pivotal development in this new chapter. This announcement, made just hours before the salon's inauguration, addresses a long-standing demand from Essaouira's civil society. Azoulay emphasized the historical importance of this railway project, describing it as central to the ambitions and challenges faced by Essaouira's community, which has been advocating for this connection for years, seen as a "win-win" opportunity for both destinations.
This enhanced mobility not only benefits tourist influx but also integrates Essaouira into a broader tourism network, with Marrakech serving as the primary international gateway. Such connectivity is expected to facilitate combined stays and strengthen the complementary relationship between the ochre city and the Cité des Alizés.
Furthermore, the strategic approach is supported by a particularly favorable environment. France remains a cornerstone market for both Marrakech and Morocco at large. In 2025, French tourists generated nearly 7.97 million overnight stays in classified tourist accommodations across Morocco, marking a 3% increase year-on-year and a 12% rise compared to 2023. The first half of 2026 has already shown an 8.5% increase in overnight stays.
This growth is set against a backdrop of strong air accessibility. For the summer of 2026, there are 157 direct flights linking France to Morocco, providing approximately 3.7 million seats, a 5% increase from the previous summer. Over twenty French cities offer direct connections to Morocco, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille, Montpellier, Strasbourg, and Nice, with Marrakech alone accounting for 44 direct routes from France, representing over a third of the total.
For the Marrakech-Safi region, this connectivity serves as a crucial lever for expanding client bases and marketing a more integrated regional offering.
Investment opportunities also loom large on the horizon, with Azoulay highlighting that Essaouira's "historic momentum" is further underscored by the scale of upcoming projects within the tourism industry. He noted the significance of these investments, which are now bolstered by the strategic and structural efforts of the state to enhance Essaouira's performance and momentum.
This convergence of visitor numbers, accessibility, and investment lays the groundwork for a transformative shift in Essaouira's tourist profile, reinforcing the importance of a coordinated promotional strategy alongside Marrakech, rather than a fragmented approach to marketing these two destinations.
As the battle for the French market evolves, it extends beyond traditional leisure tourism to encompass various strategic segments. Experiential tourism is becoming a focal point, driven by a growing demand for authentic, cultural, and immersive experiences. Additionally, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) segment benefits from Marrakech's established infrastructure and expertise in hosting international events.
The wedding tourism segment also presents a growth opportunity, while golf tourism leverages a range of courses that enhance Marrakech's appeal to high-value clientele. Through their collaborative presence at IFTM Top Resa, the CRT Marrakech and the CPT Essaouira aim to transcend a logic of separated destination promotion, with Marrakech serving as the locomotive and Essaouira asserting its unique tourist identity rooted in heritage, culture, coastline, and experience.
The ultimate goal is to transform this dynamic into sustainable economic benefits: increased visitor flows, longer stays, improved visitor circulation between the two destinations, and, crucially, an enhanced ability to attract new tourism investments.
As reported by leconomiste.com.
