Morocco Considers Reopening Hotels to House Earthquake Victims

To deal with the consequences of the earthquake and support the victims following the royal directives, Fatima-Zahra Ammor held a session in Rabat with the tourism stakeholders. The president of the National Confederation of Tourism (CNT), Hamid Bentahar, as well as the representatives of the main member associations and federations participated in this meeting during which they did not fail to welcome the good coordination of humanitarian actions (distribution of tents, beds and meals) and reaffirm their commitment to support the government’s efforts for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas.

In this sense, the minister and the professionals in the sector have agreed to list and determine the accommodation capacity of all the closed hotels in Marrakech, Agadir and Ouarzazate with a view to a possible reopening to accommodate the affected populations. Regarding the resumption of tourism activities, the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) has indicated that the day after the earthquake, discussions were held with the main tour operators and airlines to encourage them to maintain their programs to Morocco.

The stakeholders also decided to fight against fake news, which involves the dissemination of coherent messages highlighting the efforts made by the government and the confidence of international partners in the kingdom. Fatim-Zahra Ammor also invited hoteliers to take the necessary steps to bring their establishments up to safety standards as soon as possible.