The colour palette and natural beauty of the country, from the vast Sahara and fertile plains to the Atlas Mountains, are a lure for tourists from all over the world, including Serbia
We spoke with Aleksandar Seničić, Director of the National Association of Travel Agencies (YUTA), about tourism relations between Serbia and Morocco, namely what attracts Serbian tourists to Morocco and whether the number of Serbian tourists visiting Morocco will increase.
Could you rate the existing tourist trade between Serbia and Morocco? Do you have data on the number of Serbian tourists who visit Morocco annually?
The existing tourist trade between Morocco and Serbia is not at the level we would like it to be. The absence of regular airline routes, as a prerequisite for arriving at the chosen destination, seems to be the biggest reason. Some travel agencies from Serbia have been organizing tourist trips to Morocco in recent years sporadically. They use mostly low-cost airlines which fly from neighbouring countries. On average, between 2,000 and 3,000 Serbian tourists visited Morocco in the last few years.
What kind of travel is most often requested and offered in Serbia? Are group tours to Morocco more popular than individual visits to the country?
The most common are tours of several large Moroccan towns (Marrakesh, Rabat, Casablanca) that last around 7 to 8 days. There is also interest in individual trips, but we do not have details about those trips because the data about them is difficult to obtain.
Serbian tourists have not yet discovered the beautiful Moroccan beaches, but I’m sure that will happen soon
Do you have information on which Moroccan destinations are the most popular with Serbian tourists and what is it that they want to see the most when they come to Morocco?
The most popular are sightseeing tours which include large cities that exude tradition, a wealth of colours and are home to mixed cultures. These are primarily Marrakesh, Rabat, Fez, Casablanca and Meknes. The colour palette and natural beauty of the country, from the vast Sahara and fertile plains to the Atlas Mountains, are a lure for tourists from all over the world, including Serbia. Of course, we should not forget about the local specialities, browsing the souks and the inevitable shopping. Serbian tourists have not yet discovered the beautiful Moroccan beaches, but I’m sure that will happen soon.
How would you describe Morocco’s tourist offer?
As a tourist destination, Morocco is very well known and excellently presented in all parts of the world. Precisely for the reasons I listed in the previous question, Morocco is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world throughout the year but mostly those from Europe. The Moroccan tourist offer is abundant, starting from tours of major cities, special desert tours and trekking on the Atlas Mountain to a relaxing holiday on the beautiful beaches of Morocco. There is something for everyone, and magical, mysterious and colourful Moroccan landscapes won’t leave anyone indifferent.
Is there any organized arrival of Moroccan tourists to Serbia? What can we offer to them and how can we get them interested in visiting our country?
As far as I know, for now, there are no organized arrivals of Moroccan tourists to Serbia. Certainly, this is one of the opportunities that we should take advantage of. So far, the marketing campaign for Serbia’s tourist potential has not been directed towards that part of the world to a great extent, but I believe that will change in the near future. If we can something to offer Moroccan tourists that is certainly tours of major cities, as well as ethnic tourism with visits to the natural attractions and cultural-historical monuments. I am confident that those would be good enough reasons for them to come to Serbia.
For now, there are no organized arrivals of Moroccan tourists to Serbia.
Do you think that regular (or at least charter) flights between Serbia and Morocco will be launched soon? Which Moroccan city would be the best to connect with Belgrade by direct flight?
For now, as far as I know, there are no such initiatives when it comes to regular flights. It all depends on an agreement between the two countries and mutual interests in developing cooperation. In terms of charter flights, such a possibility exists, but we need to work more on it together because that’s an extremely large and risky business which requires the cooperation of both parties to succeed. I believe that soon there will be opportunities that will facilitate cooperation between travel agents from Serbia and partners from Morocco on launching the first charter flight on this route.
