Marrakech Tourism Struggles to Rebound After Deadly Earthquake

Relatively spared by the powerful earthquake that has already killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 5,000, Marrakech is preparing for the tourist season. The riads, souks, restaurants and hotels in the city have resumed their activities, but fear travel cancellations from vacationers. "My riad was supposed to be full all of September, and now it’s only 50% full," complains Gaëlle, manager of a tourist establishment located in the north of the Marrakech medina that was not affected by the earthquake. "I had two vases that fell, an earthenware pot and that’s it," she tells L’Observateur.

Fearing cancellations, Garmes Sifalislam, manager of a riad in the medina, has been reassuring his clients for a week. "Many people who had a reservation called on their own to find out if they should come or not. I sent a message to those who hadn’t called to tell them that everything is normal, that we have reopened and that tourism is resuming," he explains. Despite these initiatives, the manager has already recorded 20% cancellations. "With everything that’s happened, people don’t have a good image. There are a lot of people who have less money, it’s logical that they’re even more careful," he regrets.

Pauline Thisse, an employee in the Europe-North Africa division of the Accor group, which owns a dozen hotel establishments in the Marrakech region, assures that the fears of tourism professionals are legitimate. "I’ve had a lot of them on the phone, for a week, and they’re very afraid that clients will cancel their trip," she says. And she adds: "For them, it would be a double whammy, tourism is a very important part of the country’s economy. The manager of a hotel told me: ’The best way for people to help Morocco is still to come and spend their holidays here.’"

Despite the low impact of the earthquake in the city, some professionals are forced to undertake renovation work. "We’re lucky, the building is still standing, but we have a few cracks that need to be repaired. With regard to the people who work for us, the clients we welcome, we have a responsibility. Before reopening, we’re going to check everything to make sure there’s no risk," admits Mohamed Sebbarh, manager of a riad in the Sidi-Mimoun district, next to the kasbah, assured that he "will miss the high season".