Chaos Engulfs Al Hoceïma: Mediterranean Pearl Loses Luster Amid Summer Tourism Surge

General anarchy in Al Hoceima this summer. Apparently, the local authorities were not prepared to manage the influx of visitors during the summer season. On the crowded beaches, disorder reigns supreme. In the main streets, beggars wander without fear, disturbing the tranquility of the vacationers, reports Alyaoum24. In the squares and avenues, short-term rentals at exorbitant prices are recorded, in violation of the regulations in force. Intermediaries waving bunches of keys also offer apartments to visitors, illegally, providing unfair competition to classified hotels.

In addition to this lack of control, there are traffic difficulties in the city due to the redevelopment work on the squares, launched by the local authorities in the middle of August. Similarly, the street vendors of prickly pears or roasted corn have taken over the sidewalks and central spaces without authorization, damaging the city’s tourist image.

Furthermore, Al Hoceïma is sorely lacking in functional public toilets on its beaches or on the seafront, which leads many vacationers to travel kilometers before relieving themselves. Residents and visitors have also criticized the poor organization of the summer festival, which lasted late into the night in the city center, causing noise pollution and disrupting the tranquility of the sick, the elderly, and families.

Residents remain nostalgic for the past when Al Hoceima had welcomed personalities such as Moulay Ahmed Alaoui, King Hussein of Jordan, or sports and entertainment celebrities. Today, the city is plagued by anarchy and disorder, lament the residents, who call for the implementation of basic services and strengthened controls to restore the "pearl of the Mediterranean" to its former glory.