Morocco’s Hotels Urged to Cut Prices to Boost Domestic Tourism Amid Pandemic

Hotel and inn owners will have to consider this option in order to encourage domestic tourism and encourage Moroccans to prefer national products. The lowering of prices at the hotel and inn establishments "is no longer a choice but a necessity", insists Zoubir Bouhout, director of the Provincial Tourism Council in Ouarzazate.

According to his explanations, the lowering of prices is imposed for two reasons. The most important is that it will allow the tourism sector to survive and recover, after the loss of nearly 64 billion dirhams recorded during the health crisis period that has been going on for 3 months already.

"Here, the borders of Morocco and even internationally, are closed. In addition, each country is trying to keep its citizens. Now, there must be a considerable effort on the part of the professionals in the sector and the promoters in favor of the Moroccan consumer. That is to say, that there must be a significant drop in prices, in addition to the health safety measures that must be taken beforehand, so that every Moroccan citizen who wishes to travel, can do so in complete peace of mind and knowing that the establishment where he will stay respects the health standards," explains this professional in the sector.

"There is a middle class that goes abroad each summer, or even in the middle of the year, to spend their holidays. In 2019, Moroccans spent some 20 billion dirhams. Over 10 years, it’s 125 billion. The figure has continued to increase from 2010 to 2019," he adds, estimating that "if this money was invested in Morocco, the sector would be doing better".

In addition, the Director of the Ouarzazate CPT said that a health reference framework for the tourism sector is being prepared.