Morocco Closes 8 Cities as COVID-19 Surge Devastates Tourism Industry

Tourism operators are torn between fear and despair. When they came out of confinement a few weeks ago, they were far from suspecting that the situation would become so critical. Many have invested in the purchase of goods, the renovation of hotels and restaurants and the hiring of seasonal workers. They were hoping that "the health situation would improve and allow a resumption of economic activities that would save their season".

According to le360, "preparations to save the summer season were in full swing in Tetouan, M’diq, Oued Laou, as well as on the beaches of Chefchaouen like Targha, Jabha and others. Merchants and hoteliers thought that "this month would be exceptional in terms of tourist flow, due to the number of reservations already made".

Unfortunately, the July 26 press release announcing the closure of certain cities dashed hopes and compromised the tourist season. As soon as they arrived, some domestic tourists were forced to take the road back home, thus losing, for the most part, the sums they had spent. Yet they thought they could relax after facing three months of confinement.