Marrakech Airport's Heavy Reliance on European Markets
Zoubeir Bouhout, a notable expert in the tourism sector, has emphasized that the international flight connections of Marrakech Menara Airport remain significantly reliant on four major European markets: France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. Collectively, these countries accounted for an impressive 67.4% of all international flights scheduled during the period from November 2 to 8, 2023, translating to 503 flights out of a total of 746. This statistic illustrates a notable dependency on a limited European circle for air travel to Marrakech, with the remaining global destinations contributing a mere 20 flights and 3,171 seats during the same timeframe.
Bouhout elaborated in an exclusive statement to 'Al Yaoum 24' that these four markets provided 92,004 seats out of a total of 136,442 that were programmed, indicating a substantial concentration of international air traffic at Marrakech within these specific European markets. France leads the list as the top source market with 231 flights and 40,943 seats, followed by the United Kingdom with 110 flights and 20,897 seats. Spain and Italy follow suit, providing 92 flights with 16,889 seats and 70 flights with 13,275 seats, respectively.
Emerging European Markets Show Growth Potential
In addition to highlighting the dominant markets, Bouhout also noted the growth indicators emerging from other European countries, including Poland, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, and Portugal. Notably, flights from Poland surged by an impressive 66.7%, while flights from Greece increased by 75%. These developments point to positive trends in the number of flights and seats being offered from these additional markets.
However, Bouhout's analysis reveals a persistent disparity between the growth of flight frequencies and the development of the airport's capacity. During the comparable period, the number of flights to Marrakech increased by 2%, rising from 782 to 798 flights. Conversely, the number of programmed seats saw a decline of 1.9%, decreasing from 145,761 to 142,922 seats. This trend is further reflected in the international flights, which experienced an increase of 1.6%, while the number of seats decreased by 1.4%. Such figures indicate a reduction in the available capacity even in the face of rising flight numbers.
Furthermore, Bouhout pointed out that the concentration issue is not only evident at the country level but also extends to the airports within the primary markets. Paris, with its Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports, dominates the scene, offering 92 weekly flights to Marrakech, which constitutes 40% of all flights arriving from France. Similarly, London airports play a central role in air connectivity within the British market.
These findings bring to light the pressing challenge of diversifying the source markets for tourists heading to Marrakech. Given the limited air connections with destinations outside of Europe, there is a crucial need to expand the flight network to include new markets. This expansion would provide a broader distribution of tourism flow sources and reduce the heavy reliance on these four primary markets for air travel.
As reported by alyaoum24.com.
