Tourism engineering for a Moroccan sports destination in Casablanca: The case of Raja Club Athletic as a brand label

Abstract

On the face of it, tourism is a crucial sector for the economic development of many countries, including Morocco. What's unique about this sector is that it can be linked to several other industries. Sport is a vector of influence that generates greater visibility at national and international levels. So, football's presence creates a diversified economic resource for the country. This mix offers a new flavor of tourism: sports tourism and, more specifically, football tourism. This new type of tourism is expanding rapidly worldwide, attracting many sports-loving tourists from the four corners of the globe. We aim to analyze the variable of attractiveness to tourists and football fans through the case study of a football club, Raja Club Athletic, which explains our interest in the following problem: What are the factors of attractiveness exerted by the Raja in the football unit for the tourist promotion of Casablanca? To determine our methodological position, we positioned ourselves at the level of post-positivism, our choice being oriented towards a critical realist paradigm since it is the most appropriate for our study and will allow us to address the research question better. The qualitative analysis revealed several obstacles to creating a football tourism destination. It highlighted the prominent role played by clubs and the organization of sporting events in improving the area's tourist appeal through the promotion they can provide. According to the quantitative analysis, RCA is a famous club, which enables it to attract tourists. This popularity is due to the club's track record and its supporters and ultras, which are essential in raising RCA's profile. The quantitative study highlighted the fact that the club's offer is ill-suited to the needs of its supporters and the factors that make Raja attractive, both now and in the future, as a footballing unit for the promotion of tourism in Casablanca in particular and Morocco in general. Sports tourism, in general, and football tourism, in particular, represent a significant niche that needs to be exploited in Morocco. Thanks to sporting events and football clubs, the country can improve its tourist appeal, promote Morocco as a destination, and be a thriving football destination. 

Keywords: Tourism, sport, tourist appeal, football appeal, territorial development.

JEL Classification: Z32, M31

Paper type: Empirical research,