British Airways Holidays has introduced Morocco as a short-haul option to its Tours of the World programme for 1999/2000.
“Morocco is a short-haul destination, but nevertheless it is exotic. People think that being in Africa, it’s a long way away, but it’s actually only 3hrs from the UK,” said Tours of the World programme product manager Campbell McDermid.
The company’s 14-night Berbers and Casbahs tour takes in the northern cities of Rabat, Fes and Marrakesh, and southern towns of Ouarzazate and Merzouga.
“Clients get a mix of the traditional Arabic medieval architecture in the north of the country, and the desert scenery and palm groves in the sub-Saharan south,” said McDermid. A special feature of the trip is a day in the High Atlas Mountains. “You have a traditional lunch in a Berber village, and then sit and chat over a mint tea, or there is the option to take a walk in the mountains,” said McDermid.
BAH runs 14 departures a year, with prices from ú1,029 in March to ú1,209 in December.
“The best time to visit Morocco is spring (March to May) or autumn (September and October),” said McDermid. Prices include three and four-star bed and breakfast and open jaw tickets where customers fly into Casablanca and out of Marrakesh.
McDermid said the target audience for the trip is singles or couples aged 50 plus who have a high disposable income.