Essaouira will soon be transformed to attract more tourists. This, thanks to the relaunch of the Essaouira-Mogador tourist resort project which is mobilizing foreign investors. On Thursday, the government and a consortium led by Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris, alongside his compatriot Hussain Al Nowais – hotel magnate – and Emirati businessman Hossam Al Shaer signed a first agreement worth 230 million dollars, reports The Tribune. These three foreign investors will finance 50% of the 500 million euros needed over ten years to carry out the tourism project. Initiated in 2006 as part of the Azur plan, this tourism project struggled to come to fruition due to lack of funding.
Read: This city could supplant Marrakech
With the commitment of these three foreign investors, the Essaouira-Mogador tourist resort project now has a bright future ahead of it. “This massive investment will not fail to propel Essaouira to the forefront of the international tourism scene,” said the Minister of Tourism, Crafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zohra Ammor. The completion of this project will further position the Cité des Alizées on the Moroccan and even global tourist scene. Even if it means competing with Marrakech, considered the best tourist destination in Morocco. Certainly, these two cities have advantages for tourists, but they highlight their difference. Essaouira attracts with its rich history, its culture, its landscapes and its medina. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, Marrakech won the prize for “best tourist destination” at the Morocco Tourism Awards 2023.
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Essaouira is located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Many tourists and residents of Marrakech flock to the beach in its city center during the summer. The red city does not have this asset. It is a landlocked city. But the City of Trade Winds will have a lot to do to one day dethrone Marrakech. Unlike the red city, Essaouira still has progress to make in terms of infrastructure.
