Protected Natural Areas: A New Alternative Offer for the Seaside and Mass Tourism Destination Agadir: The Case of Souss Massa National Park

Abstract

Tourism professionals in Morocco talk about the need to diversify the tourism offer and move towards ecotourism. This is particularly the case for the Agadir destination, whose product has not really evolved over the last 20 years, a product that is essentially based on the seaside, while this one (the destination) has enormous assets, particularly the mountainous hinterland natural; the unique and fascinating fauna and flora without forgetting the very welcoming inhabitants. However, the National Park of Souss Massa, given the beauty of its natural landscapes, its remarkable flora and fauna, can be seen as an important component and promoter for the ecotourism offer of the region. Nevertheless, it is not enough for a territory to have cultural, natural, and human potential to develop high value-added tourism and make it accessible on the market (Marir, 2011). Despite the attractive potential of this territory, most people are unaware of its existence. Therefore, an empirical study was conducted during this study aimed to describe the type of customers interested in the product “National Park” and promotional tools to put in place to make it more attractive.