Moroccan Beach Town Struggles with Tourism Management Despite Prime Location

"This location makes Mohammedia’s beaches a preferred destination for a large number of vacationers from different regions of the Kingdom, especially in summer," observes an environmental expert in a statement to Al3omk before expressing his deep surprise at the lack of strategic vision among officials who are supposed to take the necessary measures to organize and optimally exploit these tourist resources.

The rental of parasols and chairs, which is experiencing great disorder in the absence of framed laws and faced with the hesitation of certain entities to issue the necessary authorizations, anarchic behaviors and illegal exploitation are indeed among the practices that harm the experience of vacationers on Mohammedia’s beaches. According to the expert, the city’s population continuously expresses its wish to see the beach sector organized, particularly concerning the activity of renting parasols and chairs.

"This phenomenon, which is experiencing great disorder due to the absence of laws framing this activity, is exacerbated by the refusal of many organizations to rent beaches to companies or individuals, which causes real inconvenience for visitors who are confronted with anarchic practices and forms of illegal exploitation," he adds, calling for the correction of past mistakes made by local authorities in charge of managing the city’s coastline.

The expert nevertheless acknowledges that efforts are being made to ensure a good experience for vacationers. "There are some positive movements, such as cleaning the beaches morning and evening, efforts that cannot be denied, but which remain insufficient if they are not accompanied by the provision of essential comfort equipment, infrastructure, leisure services, which would improve the quality of reception for vacationers and economically and touristically benefit the city and its inhabitants." He also mentions the development and improvement work undertaken on the city’s corniche.

He also deplored the closure of certain infrastructures, particularly public toilets and kiosks, which has created a void exploited by some young delinquents who commit acts of vandalism. For him, improving the state of Mohammedia’s beaches should be a priority, through the adoption of a comprehensive approach encompassing infrastructure development, regulation of exploitation activities, encouragement of investment in seaside tourism, and intensification of environmental monitoring, in order to ensure the sustainability of natural resources and strengthen the city’s position on the national tourist map.