Panorama has increased capacity to the beach resort of Agadir for summer 1999, in response to Sunworld dropping Morocco as a holiday destination this year.
The Airtours-owned operator has taken over Sunworld’s half of the charter flight series which the two companies were sharing between Gatwick and Agadir.
“We’ve now got the whole Monarch charter, which starts flying in May. It’s a weekly charter on a Sunday that will run year round,” said sales and marketing director Martin Young.
Young is confident about achieving passenger numbers. “We had to make a decision as to whether we wanted the whole aircraft. It is a bigger commitment, but we will fill it. We are behind the destination and can see it has potential for the future,” he said.
With the increased capacity, the operator’s aim is to take between 15,000 and 20,000 clients this year, which will make it the leading operator to the destination in terms of passenger numbers.
He added: “The fact that Sunworld has pulled out is great news for us, although in a way it is good for a destination to have competition, as it means more consumer choice.”
Panorama is positive about tourism to Morocco. “The country is much underrated by the retail trade, but we feel the country has a good future,” said Young. “It is a long way south and has excellent beaches and a good mix of hotel accommodation. We think Morocco offers excellent two-centre options, where clients can combine a stay in Marrakesh with a beach holiday.”
A Sunworld spokesman said the company was leaving Morocco to the specialists.
“Morocco is not a mass-market destination. Demand is not great enough to fill a weekly charter, so it has been discontinued within our mainstream summer sun brochure. We consider the country to be a specialist destination,” he said.
Panorama has 13 properties in Agadir. Its portfolio includes three, four and five-star hotels, an all-inclusive property anda batch of self-catering apartments.
The company’s lead-in price for self-catering is ú269 for seven nights, which includes flights and transfers. For its all-inclusive option, a three-star hotel, the price is ú459 for seven nights, with flights and transfers.