Marrakech Tourism Boom Sparks Price Surge, Frustrating Locals and Visitors

In Marrakech, tourists are angry at the skyrocketing prices of all products and services. The Marrakchis are no exception. They denounce the situation and call on merchants to stop taking advantage of the influx of foreign tourists to double or even triple the price of products and services, reports Le360.

For example, taxi drivers sometimes work without turning on the meter, in order to charge the customer more than necessary. As for the car park attendants near Jemaa El-Fnaa square, they make car owners pay up to 30 dirhams. For Mohamed Benmansour, secretary general of the National Federation of Tourist Transport in Morocco, the increase in prices concerning certain means of the tourism transport sector in Marrakech, "is due to the preference of certain taxi drivers for the transport of foreigners, in addition to the fact that there are drivers who do not operate the meter".

Another factor that, according to him, could explain the high cost of transportation, is the high price of fuel. "The subsidy granted by the State for tourist transport does not really solve the situation." Benmansour nevertheless emphasizes the lack of tourism promotion. According to him, "promoting tourism requires an effort, because the Moroccan citizen finds that his purchasing power is not in line with the prices practiced in these tourist areas. He should also strive to offer offers that encourage citizens to visit the different tourist areas," he stressed.