French companies seek to turn Morocco’s mountains into year-round tourist destinations

The first Franco-Moroccan Mountain Meetings were held on 15 and 16 September in Lyon and Oisans. They brought together stakeholders from both countries to discuss the tourism and economic development of mountain regions.

The event was organized by Cluster Montagne, in collaboration with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the NGO Tétraktys. The stated objective was to foster “the emergence of concrete projects,” economic partnerships and lasting cooperation between French and Moroccan professionals and territories, the Cluster Montagne specifies.

For French companies, Morocco represents a new market in the fields of tourism development, site operations, architecture, natural-risk management and improving visitor reception.

On Bladi.net : Morocco Aims to Boost Mountain Tourism, Targeting 500,000 Annual Visitors

The expertise being offered is not limited to ski lifts or ski areas. The model being promoted is based on “multi-season” destinations, capable of operating beyond periods of snowfall through hiking, outdoor activities, heritage, accommodation and tourism services.

This diversification should make it possible to extend the season, improve the profitability of infrastructure and generate more regular income for local residents and businesses.

Oukaïmeden must become less dependent on snow

This approach directly corresponds to the difficulties faced by Oukaïmeden. Morocco’s main ski resort remains highly dependent on precipitation and the duration of snow cover, which have become increasingly irregular.

A modernization program for Oukaïmeden estimated at 400 million dirhams already provides for the renovation of infrastructure and the diversification of the activities on offer. The objective is to transform the resort into a tourist destination visited all year round, rather than only during the few weeks favorable to skiing.

On Bladi.net : Toubkal Ascent: Morocco’s Berber Valleys and New Mountain Tourism

The Franco-Moroccan Mountain Meetings should now help bring together companies with technical solutions and Moroccan stakeholders capable of leading or supporting these projects. However, no new quantified operation has yet been announced following this first edition.

For Morocco, the challenge is to make better use of the Atlas’s tourism potential while creating new activities in rural areas where the benefits of tourism remain lower than those of major urban and coastal destinations.