Marrakech tops BA’s must-visit destinations

Marrakech in Morocco is being marked as a top destination for this year.

British Airways, which begins services to the Moroccan resort on March 28, has placed Marrakech at the forefront of its must-visit list.

American and Caribbean destinations also feature in BA’s 10 best travel tips, with San Diego in southern California second and New York third.

BA chief executive officer Willie Walsh said: “The response we’ve had to the launch of routes like the Maldives, Las Vegas and Marrakech has been incredible.

“We’ve seen destinations in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean becoming even more popular with leisure travellers looking for sun and relaxation. Those after 24-hour cities are heading towards New York, Las Vegas and Japan.

“Tourism and leisure travel is a crucial focus for us, so growing our holidays business is a major part of our business plan,” remarked Mr Walsh.

Meanwhile, another forecast of popular destinations for 2011- from holiday deal company Travelzoo ­– also includes Las Vegas.

The American gambling town is one of five destinations picked out by the company.

The others include Ireland which is expected to offer good deals to tourists to help ease the country’s economic woes. The other top tips are Tallinn in Estonia, Greece, and the Cape Verde Islands off Africa.

BA’s top tips for 2011

1. Marrakech
2. San Diego
3. New York
4. St Kitts & Nevis, Caribbean
5. Puerto Rico
6. Maldives
7. Japan
8. Las Vegas
9. Mauritius
10. St Lucia