Essaouira Pivots to Luxury and Rural Tourism Amid Global Travel Slump

"We have great expertise in this field and Essaouira is rich in its history, of course, but also in its hinterland and local products. An opportunity for our guests to set off in these times of Covid-19 on a long journey to discover other facets of the deep Morocco," said the president of the Essaouira Provincial Tourism Council, Redwane Khanne. Like Marrakech and Agadir, professionals are betting on the tourist period starting on November 1st, hoping for the reopening of borders, not forgetting that the city of the trade winds had a correct summer season, reports l’Economiste.

During the month of May, the city had taken the lead, by establishing several measures with a health label for all hotel and catering establishments, a strategy for summer entertainment, packages and à la carte choices for entertainment activities, culinary journeys through local products, locally produced protective masks offered to tourists and many others. The objective was to attract more domestic tourists and provide them with an attractive and sanitarily secure destination. An initiative that was successful and of which the professionals in the sector are proud.

However, niche tourism needs the help of the authorities and public bodies, and tourism municipalities to go far. The economic benefits that stem from the initiative are important for rural development or the field of employment.

It should be noted that with regard to entertainment, Essaouira has improved its program with a calendar including one event per week. A roadmap initiated by the CPTE and the Essaouira-Mogador association, scheduling 21 festivals, meetings and forums, in order to revisit Morocco and discover the most emblematic spaces of the city’s cultural, historical and memorial heritage, indicates the newspaper.