The impact of transport infrastructure on tourism destination attractiveness: A case study of Marrakesh City, Morocco

Abstract

Tourism activity is fundamentally based on two parameters known as the intention to move and the physical ability to do so. The first parameter is based on setting a desire for places, which inspires an aspiration to travel, and time availability and money will make it possible. The second parameter implies the ability to access places visited through the use of transport and information. Hence the importance of developing the transport infrastructure in order to promote tourism destination attractiveness and competitiveness. The aim of this article addresses this idea by examining bibliographically the evidence of a connection between transport and tourism and empirically through a case study that tries to identify the impact of transport development on tourism destination attractiveness in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh during the last 18 years using the linear regression and the Pearson correlation methods. Based on the findings, we concluded that transport and tourism are connected in a way that, through developing transport infrastructures such as highways, airports, and railway station, a positive impact on overnights stays in all types of accommodation can be noticed. Moreover, this outcome regarding a city in the North African and Middle Eastern context joins the other findings in the literature confirming the connection between transport infrastructure development and tourism destination attractiveness. Therefore, this study tries to incite African governments in general and Moroccan policymakers in particular to have a clear focus on long-term planning and requirements concerning tourism development. They should furthermore, develop and integrated a competitive transport system that is sustainable socially and economically.

Keywords

• tourism
• transport
• destination attractiveness
• infrastructure
• marrakech