Did you know?

Marrakech. Closer than you think

According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) there were around 39 flights a week between London airports and Marrakech before the EU Open Skies agreement was implemented in 2006. But since the first low cost carrier, EasyJet, touched down in July 2006 there are now over 100 direct flights every week between the two cities with the assistance of RyanAir, homson Fly, GB Airways and Atlas Blue (the Royal Air Maroc no-frills subsidiary). With a three and a half hour flying time between London and Marrakech and prices starting from just 99p plus tax each way, a City Break to the Rose City is well within reach.

Morocco 2010

King Mohammed’s focussed and ambitious plan to attract 10 million tourists by 2010 (from 5.8 million in 2005) has been well-publicised and Marrakech is stepping up a gear to make its modest contribution to his targets. Once ‘just another’ stage in package tours of Morocco’s historic cities, alongside Casablanca, Fez and Agadir, Marrakech has now grown up into a stand-alone destination. The launch of new resorts and entertainment facilities is really beginning to bear fruit and a 2006 report by the Oxford Business Group confirms that “arrivals were up an impressive 22% to 1.4 million in 2005, according to official figures, while total arrivals to Morocco grew just 5%. The total number of nights spent surged even faster, increasing by 27%.”