New Flights to Morocco

This winter low cost airline Transavia France will offer a new link between Nantes and Agadir

As of December 23, 2017, Air France's subsidiary will offer two flights a week between its base in Nantes-Atlantique and the airport of Agadir-Al Massira, operated in Boeing 737-800 with 189 seats.

Departures are scheduled Tuesday and Saturday at 7:10 am to arrive at 9:15 am, return flights leaving Morocco at 10:00 am will land at 14:15.  Tickets will cost 70 Euro one way.

Transavia will compete with TUIfly Belgium on this route, which will only be operated on Saturday from 8 January to 24 February 2018.

According to Hervé Kozar, Deputy General Manager of Transavia France, "The opening of this new destination in winter 2017 demonstrates once again the strong attractiveness of Morocco and confirms our desire to offer travellers of the Nantes region a greater diversity of choices in terms of destinations".

In other airline news,  the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) has signed a partnership agreement with German tour operator FTI in Munich to operate flights to Marrakech.

This agreement concerns the organisation of four flights per week to Marrakech from four German cities, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Cologne.

This partnership is of paramount importance in that it promotes the city of Marrakech with a tour operator known in the market, explained to the ONMT.

It will promote new flights and reinforce others already launched under previously signed agreements.

Abderrafie Zouiten

Director General of the ONMT Abderrafie Zouiten, ''This is a real breakthrough as it is the first time that Marrakech will be scheduled with four weekly charter flights departing from the German market".

The number of tourists from the German market, including members of the Moroccan community, reached 278,000 tourists at the end of June, an increase of 12%.

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Air Arabia Opens New Routes to Paris and Bordeaux From Fez

Air Arabia Morocco in partnership with the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) has launched two new routes between Fez and the French cities of Paris and Bordeaux

The new routes provided by Air Arabia, are part of the policy of increasing tourist flows to Morocco

This announcement was made at the opening ceremony of a new sales office in Fes.

According to the CEO of Air Arabia Morocco, Adel Ali, the new destinations Fez-Paris and Bordeaux-Fes, scheduled from December, will strengthen the range of services that the company offers to France for their holiday or business trips as part of the overall strategy of Air Arabia Morocco to development of the tourism sector in Morocco.

For the president of the Regional Council of Tourism (CRT) of Fez-Meknes, Driss Faceh, the opening of the new routes reflects the growing interest in Morocco as a destination .

These new routes provided by Air Arabia, also within the framework of the policy of increasing tourist flows to Morocco and the consolidation of air traffic between Morocco and Europe, he added.

In the opinion of tourist operators in Fez, these new air services will strengthen the tourist attractiveness of Fez as the spiritual capital of the Kingdom.

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Air Arabia Will Give Fez a Boost

Air Arabia appears to be making moves towards basing at least two aircraft in Fez and increasing the number of European destinations it services. If the rumours prove to be true it could create up to 1000 jobs and boost tourist numbers from 54,000 to over 500,000

On June 30th the airline representatives had a talk-fest at the headquarters of the Wilaya of Fez-Meknes with tourism professionals, authorities and elected officials, who studied the possibility of Fes Sais airport becoming a hub for low cost air transport to 13 international destinations. Air Arabia is a low-cost airline with its head office in the Sharjah Freight Centre, Sharjah International Airport, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia recently reported a 42 per cent jump in net profit, beating analyst expectations, as the airline opened new destinations and carried more passengers in the first quarter.

There was also talk of two further domestic destinations - Marrakech and Agadir

"We will make two aircraft available by the summer of 2018," says Laila Mechbal, CEO of Air Arabia.  However, Mechbal noted that the commitment of his company will require support of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) as part of a co-marketing agreement, and also a subsidy from the local authorities.

For this type of contract, the ONMT will probably pay between 15 and 20 euros per passenger. In addition elected authorities will be asked to pay an annual contribution of 20 million DH. "These grants (ONMT and local) should be approved before July 31," said the head of Air Arabia. This is to allow Air Arabia to prepare bids, start marketing, recruiting the right staff and to provide two A 320 aircraft to Fez.

The proposed new air routes from Fez  are expected to be Paris, Bordeaux, Milan, Rome, Cologne, Brussels, Istanbul, Strasbourg, Lyon, London and Barcelona. In ​​addition there will be a strengthening of links with the existing Toulouse and Montpellier services.

The airline has given its approval for regional connections between Fez and Marrakech (3 weekly flights) and Fez and Agadir (2 weekly flights). Some 90,480 seats will be reserved for these domestic flights.

Tourism professionals say, "these new services would create a real dynamic in the region" These new routes also would boost the air traffic at the Fes-Saïss Airport. It currently has just over 800,000 passengers per year. Over 76.8% of that activity is provided by Ryanair. "There should be more offers and no longer depend on a single company ... to create competition, improve service, and especially to attract more tourists to Fez", say professionals.

Finally, the creation of a direct link "Fez-Dakar", in collaboration with the ONMT, is highly desirable. The price of the latter should not exceed 2.000 DH. Especially since their destination is increasingly popular with pilgrims and Tijanes now houses the headquarters of the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema.

The popular Ryanair Fes-London flight appears to be changing flight times. As of Oct 30th flights leave Fes at 15.15, arriving in London at 18.30 then leave London at 18.55 and arrive in Fes at 22.15. Hopefully Ryanair planes will be based in Fes.


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A Bumpy Ride for Moroccan Tourism

Morocco's tourist market is particularly volatile at the moment, with drops in arrivals from the normal source countries.  French tourist numbers are down, with experts pointing to a number of causes, including the European football competition, social unrest and perceptions about terrorism

In a recent survey, the number of French citizens planning to travel during the summer holidays is down from 59% to 55%. Of the French who said they would travel, only 19% intended to travel abroad, with 39% saying they would holiday in France.

Those travelling abroad are heading first of all to Spain, Italy and Portugal, in that order, with Morocco in fourth place.  When questioned about their choices only 11% of respondents intended to visit the Magreb.  Morocco was the destination for 7%, with Tunisia on 3% and 1% for Algeria.

The UK market is also suffering a downturn. Travel expert Bob Atkinson, of travelsupermarket.com, has no hesitation in explaining the causes. “We have seen terrorism in Tunisia, Paris and Brussels, bomb attacks in Turkey, and the Russian jet downed at Sharm el Sheik. This has affected demand for Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Cyprus and Malta,” he says. Atkinson added: “These countries have all had lower demand than you would expect. Tunisia is 100 per cent down, Morocco 90 per cent down and Turkey 70 per cent down.”

French tourist numbers are down

Atkinson is not alone in blaming unrest for the downturn.  Opodo, an online travel agency founded in 2001 by a consortium of European airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Iberia, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus and Finnair, explains that Morocco is suffering following unrest in Tunisia, the refugee crisis in Turkey and its perceived proximity to the problems in Syria.

The bookings for Tunisia and Turkey, are down respectively by 68% and 72%, and because Morocco is a Muslim country in North Africa, it suffers by association, with bookings down 66% for the summer of 2016.

Another recent market survey revealed the same story. Morocco and Turkey have suddenly dropped in the rankings of the favourite tourist destinations for UK travellers. According to the headline on website of the British newspaper, The Express, "Morocco and Turkey plummet on British holidaymakers' list of must-visit places."

The UK survey indicated that Morocco and its key destination for British tourists, Marrakech, was once a firm favourite but it’s dropped down 11 places to the 35th most searched holiday destination in 2016. The Express reported that is was the same for Turkey, which dropped 11 places to rank 29th overall.

Morocco is a safe destination!

Again this sudden drop in popularity of Morocco Turkey is attributable to negative images of both countries because of their chaotic neighbours. Although perfectly safe, Morocco and Turkey have failed to stand out from their neighbourhoods where rampant terrorism and the refugee crises grab people's attention. The Express points out that the terrorist attacks in Tunisia and Libya and the refugee crisis in the Middle East pushed British tourists towards European destinations such as Spain and Italy.

Interestingly, in the UK it is only Londoners who select Marrakech as their favourite destination. But Londoners take shorter stays, on average 3 days and prefer the luxurious palaces of Marrakech to cheaper accommodation. Inhabitants of other regions of the UK, those who go to Spain or Cyprus, spend longer holidays and usually in less classy hotels. Just for the record, inhabitants of other cities such as Edinburgh and Birmingham prefer Barcelona while the citizens of Plymouth and Brighton prefer the Canary islands.


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French Tourist Numbers are Down in Morocco

Tourism in Morocco continues to be affected by association with other Maghreb countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt, which have seen terror attacks. French tourists are still reluctant to go to Morocco, as is shown by the latest travel survey of travel for January,  released by the National Union of Travel Agencies (SNAV).

The numbers do not bode well for tourism in Morocco. Reservations of French visitors to the Kingdom suffered a 17% drop in during January according to French tour operators. French tourists favour medium-haul destinations such as Portugal (+ 20%) , Spain (+ 16%) and Italy (+ 7%).

Morocco recorded a 35% decrease in the number of French tourists actually arriving in Morocco compared to January 2015 and that of 2016. Tunisia, which recorded a drop of 50% arrivals. Morocco continues to be victim of the amalgam with the Maghreb countries like Tunisia which saw the attacks. Recently, it was a suicide car bomb targeted a convoy of the presidential guard in the centre of Tunis.

Destinations such as Cape Verde (+ 52%), Portugal (+ 15%) and Spain (+ 4%), are considered safer. On the other hand, French tourists are turning to long haul destinations in North and South America and Asia. Cuba is a winner (+ 59%), China (+ 48%) and India (+ 34%).

Faced with this situation, Morocco has undertaken a set of security measures to protect crowded places and hotels. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism has undertaken a major campaign to "sell" Morocco as a destination in the international fairs of the sector. Lahcen Haddad has been a major force in the efforts in the countries of Eastern Europe but also on traditional tourist source markets.

Casablanca - Bad Press and Fewer Flights

The headline "Easyjet stops Casablanca flights from November" must have sent shivers down the spine of Casablanca's tourist operators. It comes at the same time as news that the city is in the top 10 least friendly cities in the world

According to a report carried by Yabiladi, low cost airline Easyjet will cease Casablanca routes due to worries of profitability and operational problems at Mohammed V airport.

Easyjet flights Casablanca-Paris will end on October 31, while Casablanca-Lyon ends November 3 and November 29 will be the last flight Casablanca-Milan.

Other Moroccan cities such as Agadir or Marrakech will still have services through to March 2016.

An Easyjet spokesperson says, "Easyjet has decided to stop its activities in Casablanca for the winter 2015-2016. This suspension is "following disappointing results on these destinations and operational problems for some time at Casablanca airport," says the spokesperson.

The National Office of Airports (ONDA) reports that they have no information on flight suspensions. "We have not received anything official from the company," an official told Yabiladi.

Lack of space at the airport due to the closure of Terminal 1 has posed problems for certain low-cost airlines including Easyjet, which was forced to drop from two daily flights to one last year. The French press has hinted that extension of Terminal 1, that began in 2010, is only part of the problem and that Morocco wants to "push low cost airlines to the exit" in Casablanca in favour of Royal Air Morocco. This thesis, has been rejected outright by ONDA, who say that completion of Terminal 1 will be late 2016.

However, Yabiladi points out that the fact that Easyjet is to suspend its links with Casablanca at the same time as it launches a new line to Marrakech during the same period, speaks volumes about the situation in airport Mohammed V.

Casa a city with an image problem

Meanwhile in the city...

While Casablanca may be Morocco's economic capital, it is suffers from an image problem. In the latest survey by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller website, Casablanca is not only in the top 10 least friendly cities on the planet, it is in 2nd place.

"Not what the movie suggested. Time has not served this dirty city well," opined one visitor. Morocco's largest metropolis is "chock full of overwhelming sensory experiences," "pestering street vendors and merchants," "traffic jams, screaming people," and "intense extremes." Put it this way: "The Hassan II Mosque was unbelievably beautiful, but three blocks away there was nothing but poverty."

Casablanca came in behind Caracas (Venezuela) and ahead of Guangzhou (China). According to readers of the site, Casablanca is a badly polluted city and suffers from garbage, traffic congestion, aggressive street vendors and the scammers. (See our story on Casablanca crime here).

Adding to Casablanca's woes is the competition from Agadir, Marrakech and Fez.

While Fes is basking in being 11th in the Lonely Planet Top 500 tourist destinations in the world and Marrakech getting new air services, Agadir is undergoing a surge in popularity.

The French flocking to Agadir

While overall French tourist numbers are down across the country, the French are invading Agadir. According to a statement from the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Agadir has seen a 28% growth this July compared to July 2014.

French tourists are attracted by Agadir due to the increase in airline capacity and publicity campaigns in France. Transavia has increased to 4 weekly flights Paris-Agadir, and Easyjet has two new weekly flights Toulouse-Agadir.

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French Tourist Numbers Down ~ Again

The number of French tourists in Morocco fell again in January, according to figures from French travel agencies.

Morocco is the country most affected by the general decline in tourist reservations by the French. This is revealed by figures collected by the National Union of Travel Agencies (SNAV). It should be noted that the figures do not include Internet bookings. For all destinations, the number of bookings fell by 13.7% in January compared to January 2014. But in Morocco, the drop in bookings is 60%. The number of passengers had already begun to decline the previous month (-46% in December). The number of departures also fell to - 38%.

In terms of bookings, Morocco still remains the fifth destination of French tourists booking through a travel agency. The top four are Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

As France is the number one provider of tourists to Morocco, this downward trend is taken very seriously. In early February, the Ministry of Tourism announced a Dh100 million plan to support the sector. The plan, developed with the National Confederation of Tourism, aims to "mitigate the impact of events in Paris (especially the terrorist attack against Charlie Hebdo)"

Though the number of French tourists has recently declined in the kingdom because of their government warnings, Morocco stays the most attractive Islamic country which they still prefer to visit. According to a survey launched by Easy Voyage, 73,7% of the French participants won’t change their intentions concerning visiting the Islamic countries. 46,4% of them are heading to Morocco , which makes it on the top position among the visited destinations. Tunisia comes the next with 29,3% , followed by Arab Emirates with 21,2%.

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Moroccan Economy ~ Mixed Messages for the Year Ahead

Morocco will experience strong economic growth in 2015 based on expectation of a bountiful harvest and the drop in oil prices, authorities said on Tuesday

Ahmed Lahlimi Alami, the high planning commissioner, told journalists that growth was expected to be 4.8 percent in 2015, a dramatic increase over 2.6 percent the previous year, which was marked by a poor harvest. "2015 will be a good year because we are counting on predictions of a good agricultural year," Alami said. "We will also profit from the fall in the price for oil."

However, other reports suggest that the weather will play a part in lowering expectations of some agricultural products, particularly citrus and industry insiders say adverse weather toward the end of 2014 led the Moroccan citrus industry to substantially revise its production estimate for the season.

The Moroccan Citrus Producers’ Association (ASPAM) now believed total volumes would not exceed 500,000 metric tons (MT), down from the initial forecast of 600,000MT.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds in November last year are said to have caused extensive crop damage, particularly in the southern region of Souss where more than half of the country’s export volumes are produced.

Although the weather took its toll on citrus production, the rainfall did provide some relief to drought conditions in the country.

With a current estimated production of some 1.9 million MT, it is now believed no more than 30% will be fit for export.

Energy Subsidies

Unlike neighbouring Algeria whose economy depends almost entirely on oil, Morocco imports nearly all of its energy and has experienced a windfall from the dramatic fall in prices.

Morocco's Islamist-led government has pursued austerity programs since coming to power in 2012, freezing government hiring, cutting sensitive fuel subsidies and spending.

According to Alami, the amount spent on subsidies fell from nearly $6 billion in 2012 to $3.5 billion in 2014.

Faced with the pro-democracy Arab Spring demonstrations in 2011, Morocco's previous government incurred a great deal of debt by dramatically raising salaries and increased government spending in 2011.

Tourism

On the tourism front, things are looking good for Morocco. The country experienced a good result over the Christmas and New Year period and although tourist numbers are low at the moment they are expected to rise again by the end of January.

Dspite the decline in the number of French tourists, Marrakech achieved a 6% growth both in arrivals as nights, especially with strong growth of the British and German markets.

As an example of the trends, tourism in Marrakesh managed to stay on course for growth in 2014. Tourism in the Red City performed well with 1.89 million arrivals and growth of 6% for overnight stays and indicators arrivals.

According to statistics obtained from the Regional Tourism Council (CRT) of Marrakech, in late December 2014 and all markets, the city recorded a cumulative 1.89 million arrivals (+ 6%) and 6088 000 overnight stays (+ 6%) with an occupancy rate reaching 53%.

French market decline

In terms of growth, the English and the Germans are leading the pack with growth rates between 30 and 40%. The French market has experienced significant declines - 6% for arrivals and - 5% for overnight stays in 2014.

This performance, exceeding the global growth rate of 4.5% forecast by the World Tourism Organisation for the year 2014 and that recorded nationally, are explained by several factors, including the growth in airline flights. Marrakech has improved by 33 additional air services to and from European markets, bringing the offer to 280 rotations week performed by thirty companies. With the launch of new lines, particularly from Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria, Marrakech Menara Airport has achieved a 4 million passenger record, up 5% in one year.

The steady growth of the tourism sector in Marrakech in recent years is also due to the development of the activity related to business tourism, conferences and events. With three convention centres, Marrakesh confirms its leadership in the national and continental congress tourism.


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Morocco's Tourism Sector - Is 2013 A Recovery Year?

The economic downturn in Europe and instability in Mali and Algeria are all contributing to the tourism sector's slow recovery in Morocco. While there are some promising developments such as the Ryanair decision to use Marrakech and Fez as bases for their aircraft, there is still a touch of gloom in the tourist industry. Tourism experts say that concentrating on airline services and introducing medical tourism may be the key to a brighter future.

More empty tables than usual 

"We are getting only three or four bookings a week which is just enough to keep our head above water,' one riad owner told The View from Fez. "Hopefully the lull since New year will see a pick-up in March and April."

The situation in Fez is patchy, with some riad owners reporting good numbers of guests with a surprising number of visitors from South American nations such as Argentine, Mexico and Brazil. Those operators who concentrate on the North American and British markets are seemingly those experiencing the worst of the slowdown.

The decline in visitor numbers has caused a number of accommodation businesses to shift their focus and lower their rates to encourage domestic tourism. "As far as we're concerned, we've revised our room rates and also diversified our offer to Moroccan families," one Marrakech hotel manager explained. "We've also improved our internet communications, with a new platform providing information and online booking facilities."

Last year, journalist Rajae El Oufairi was accurate in suggesting that focussing on national tourists, with attractive offers, would be a solution for the sector under current market conditions. "In Morocco today there is a real emergent middle class,and the problem is the absence of tourist offers to match the expectations of the Moroccan middle class."

A quiet time in the souqs of Casablanca  photo Sandy McCutcheon

However, at street level, traders say that business is quiet. Street restaurants and small business owners are generally confident that things will pick up. "It is always quiet in winter,' hanout (small shop) owner Yousef says. "We don't get a lot of business from tourists anyway. They tend to take pictures and move on. But when there are a lot of tourists the guest houses spend more in the souq."

Writing in the online journal Magharebia, Hassan Benmehdi reports that although Morocco is hoping 2013 will be a year of economic recovery for the tourism sector, experts are cautioning the rebound will not be as easy as once thought.

"Tourism in Morocco is crucial to the country's economy, as it represents about 7.1% of the gross domestic product," financial analyst Moussa El Mouritani explained. "The European market represents over 50% of the tourism in Morocco; however that market is still unstable and the economy is having a hard time getting back to its normal pace and normal progression."

Moroccan Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad has pointed out that efforts have been made on many levels to find ways to minimise the impact of the weak economy, particularly in Europe. Haddad said that the Moroccan government plans to develop and finalise pragmatic methods that would allow several projects to come to life. That would require raising a total of 38 billion dirhams for developing 36,000 additional beds and eventually lead to the creation of over 10,000 jobs.

 Tourism - one of the top five job generating sectors  photo AFP/Fadel Senna

The point, Haddad said, was to invest with people involved in important projects such as the convention centre and the amusement park in Marrakech, the Tama Ouanza resort in Agadir as well as the myriad of resorts in Fez and the Biladi clubs in Martil and Benslimane.

Also on the 2013 agenda, the introduction of medical tourism and sustainable tourism classes.

Tour operators are dissatisfied and feel that the field "is not living up to expectations". For Abdelali Mouktadir, who works in sales at a Marrakech hotel resort, the bad economy makes them less competitive. Another Marrakech hotel operator said that the government should focus efforts mainly in the aviation sector and should work harder on making Morocco a tourist destination. The country's potential is not being correctly showcased, Casablanca restaurant manager Driss Belloufi said.

The National Tourism Federation (FNT) wants to reinforce logistics so that the country's vision for domestic tourism gets some kind of support. The tourism minister also looks to further reinforce training through the establishment of several partnerships with various international institutes. He also asked field professionals to help out and determine their exact needs in terms of expertise and human resources.

On a financial level, Industry and Trade Minister Abdelkader Amara noted that tourism related investments come mainly from domestic sources (64%), while only 36% come from abroad, primarily the US and Saudi Arabia. "Next year we will have investments in the area of 20 to 30 billion dirhams," he said. According to the latest data of the High Commission for Planning (HCP), tourism represents more than 7 per cent of the gross domestic product and is one of the top five job generating fields in Morocco.


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Fresh Vision for Cultural Life in Fez

The new director of the French Institute in Fez, Philippe Laleu, has brought a breath of fresh air to the artistic life of the city, writes Suzanna Clarke.

Far from being simply an administrator, Laleu is also a practicing video artist, who has a broad understanding of the arts and is taking a creative approach to increasing the number and scope of cultural activities.

Since Laleu assumed the post last November, new initiatives have included renting the Art Deco style Cinema Rex, in Fez's Ville Nouvelle - a French film festival is showing there this weekend. (See story above.) There will also be a festival of documentary films from April 24 to May 4.

Laleu is also keen to expand the artist's residency program at the French Institute's Dar Batha premises in the Medina to include artists of many nationalities. "We want to create a meeting platform; a window onto the world," he says.

Rather than having a residency program where artists and experts come and "teach" locals, Laleu sees the opportunity to create a catalyst; an artists' hub, "where ideas can be exchanged and creativity stimulated".

Other activities planned for Fez include the Change Your Class program, where a classroom in the medina is taken over and transformed, with the help of the pupils, over a two week period. This will be happening from March 16-31 at a local school.

Literary events are also a feature of the French Institute program, with French writer and poet Eric Sadin due to give readings and workshops in Fez from March 16 to April 30.

New director of the French Institute in Fez, Philippe Laleu

Laleu's experience with enhancing the cultural life of cities is extensive. Between 1983 to 1990, he trained in painting and art installation in the French city of Cergy, at one of the new breed of French art schools, opened by the Ministry of Culture. Following this, he did a stint as an artist in residency in the Japanese city of Kyoto. "From my first trip to Japan in 1989, I loved it and wanted to go back,"he says.

He got that opportunity when between 1999-2005, when he programmed the cultural calendar for Alliance Francaise in Bangkok, before becoming the director of the French Institute in Yokohama. During his tenure there, Laleu established a number of contemporary events in collaboration with budding venues; huge warehouses lining the Yokohama Bay, which were transformed into massive independent exhibition spaces. Events he programmed included the Yokohama Video Collection, with three French curators creating a show around a common theme. After this, Laleu returned to Bangkok to launch a new art center there.

His posting in Fez came about almost by accident. Laleu had long been enthusiastic about coming to the Maghreb. "In September I passed by Paris, and was encouraged to apply for the posting in Fez." With the winning combination of his artistic talents and administrative aptitude, his appointment was quickly decided.

Laleu's own artistic work has toured extensively in different countries. His 2010 exhibition at St Denis in Paris, Private location ou ses doigts bruns élégants comprised photographs and videos, and a sculpture combining "art toys" - manufactured products and crafts. His artist's statement said, "Philippe Laleu offers a personal view of Asia where clichés, exoticism, modesty and poetry intertwine subtly."

The early signs for Laleu's program in Fez are excellent and the development of his vision, as he learns more about the city, Moroccan culture and his way around the sometimes arcane bureaucracy is keenly awaited.
He has many experienced hands on board to help him. "I have a great team of thirty people here," Laleu says.

You can see the cultural program of the Institut Français de Fes HERE. 


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More Turbulence for Travellers to Morocco

Regular View from Fez readers will remember the story a month ago when more than 100 furious passengers refused to leave a Ryanair flight that was re-routed to Belgium. The jet carrying mainly French travellers from Fez in Morocco was supposed to have landed at Beauvais airport near Paris but was delayed by weather. But because it took off three hours late, by the time it reached Beauvais, the airport had closed. When it landed at the southern Belgian city of Liege, the militant travellers staged a four-hour sit-in, demanding to be taken back to France. Passengers claimed on that occasion, Ryanair cabin crew locked the toilets, turned off the lights and left them on the tarmac for four hours.

Now we learn that more than 100 plane passengers staged a mutiny when the captain announced some unscheduled stops. The Moroccan budget airline Jet4You flight had been due to make a 90-minute journey from Toulouse to Casablanca. Unfortunately, when the captain told the 137 passengers the plane would be stopping at Bordeaux and Lyon en route - adding four hours to the journey - the travellers refused to sit and buckle their seatbelts, leaving the plane stuck on the runway all night.

A report published by The Mail Online says And rather than reason with the paying customers, the captain simply turned off the lights and heating in the jet and left the passengers inside. According to Majette Ouri, who was travelling with her two children,'It was a total disgrace. We bought tickets for a direct flight taking less than two hours. But once they had us on board, they said we'd be making two unscheduled stops and taking six hours to get to Casablanca.'

According to Toulouse airport officials, 52 of the 137 passengers asked to get off the plane during the night while 85 were still on the aircraft on Sunday morning. Jet4You said it would transport the passengers to Casablanca on a direct flight at 6pm on Sunday, and had found another means of collecting people stranded elsewhere in France.

Fez passengers outraged by Ryanair

More than 100 passengers flying from Fez to Paris last week refused to leave an aircraft after it was diverted to Belgium, reports the Yahoo travel website.



The flight was scheduled to leave Fez at 7.15pm, but was delayed by three hours. By that time the airport at Beauvais near Paris was closed. The flight crew decided to divert the flight and landed at Liege in Belgium at around 11.30pm local time.

Passengers were furious. They decided to stay on board until someone agreed to take them to their original destination. They stayed on the plane for four hours in complete darkness, after the crew had left. They had no access to the toilets which had been locked, and no food or water. After long hours of negotiations, officials convinced them to leave the aircraft. Passengers were then asked to wait for buses to take them to Beauvais.

A firefighter told AFP: "The negotiation was so difficult that we weren't sure they would come out. People are obviously outraged."

French knees in the Medina.

Our little story about knees has provoked a large number of emails claiming sightings of even more outrageous knee exposures. However, we have declined to post any of them as they pale in comparison to the example on the right.

These are French knees and come with the added elegance of beautiful bare arms and an attempt to look pregnant by hiding his camera bag under his fine blue singlet.

Now, if you can provide a better example of Fine Fez Fashion - we will publish it.

We would also appreciate it if you can ascertain the nationality of the knees in question as a lot can be learned by taking the origin of the knees into account.

In the meantime we will resist from furthering our research in this area as others have jumped on the bandwagon and are obviously eager to make this topic the subject of academic research.

Below, for example , is a photograph of two French women who have decided the best possible place for knee watching is from the safety of a terrace. Please note that their own knees are respectfully clothed.

Phtt! Pensent-t-ils que cette tenue est un signe d'individualisme assez fort?

Il faut quand meme qu'il soit culotté pour montrer les genoux nus comme ca!

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news