Morocco’s Beach Resorts Prepare to Reopen, Face Potential Loss of Overseas Moroccan Tourists

With the uncertainty hanging over a normal resumption of tourism activities, Morocco has decided to turn to domestic tourism for the time being. For a few weeks now, the CRT, the regional tourism delegation in the Oriental, the various stakeholders and tourism operators have been working to develop promotional offers for domestic tourism, reports l’Économiste.

In this perspective, readjusted packages are made available to middle-income households to save this year’s tourist season. Unfortunately, the seaside resorts of Saïdia and Marchica offered to tourists and eagerly awaiting the reopening of airspace risk closing soon, for lack of customers.

According to the same media, 66% of tourists who stayed in the Oriental in 2019 are an international clientele with only 34% of domestic tourists, more than half of whom are Moroccans living abroad (MRE). These Moroccans of the world are at odds with the extension of the containment measures by the Moroccan authorities, which has blocked thousands of their families in Morocco.

Instead of their country of origin, they could choose other secure tourist destinations. Another major problem is the vagueness surrounding the reopening of the catering sector. Authorized to open, they are currently limited to "take-out" and home delivery service. At this rate, the tourist season is likely to be mortgaged for the seaside.