Morocco’s ’Blue Pearl’ Resort Town Saïdia Struggles Amid COVID-19 Tourism Slump

10 August 2020 – bySylvanus@Bladi · 1 min read

Saïdia, the preferred destination of Moroccans living abroad (MRE) and foreign tourists for the summer holidays, is impacted by the health crisis related to Covid-19. Result: the big events, the festivals... have given way to boredom.

Tourists no longer recognize Saïdia, the city nicknamed "the blue pearl". "I regularly go to Saïdia to spend my holidays there. Unfortunately, this year things are no longer as before. There were big events, festivals, atmosphere... In addition, we were used to finding a large number of our fellow citizens living abroad and that made us happy. But this year, we have the impression of discovering another city, deserted and lacking in atmosphere," laments Mohamed Amine.

Bilal, a resident of Berkane who spends his holidays in Saïdia, agrees. He points out that the leisure areas like the Marina are no longer accessible, which makes the holidays less enjoyable. "We had the pleasure of going to this remarkable space, joyfully observing the large influx of MRE who came in large numbers. We hope that next year the coronavirus will be just a bad memory and that this beautiful city will regain all its atmosphere," he declares to Le360.

The coronavirus has also had a negative impact on businesses and tourism-related activities. This situation is disappointing but not desperate for the inhabitants who believe in a return to normal.