Morocco’s Northern Resorts See Tourism Surge Despite COVID-19 Restrictions

Tourism operators are counting on the beauty of the seaside towns to replenish their coffers dried up by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are expecting a lot from this summer season despite the restrictive measures that have led to a drop in the attendance of tourist establishments, reports Aujourd’hui le Maroc, which points out that in the North, the average occupancy rate reached 50% in July and more than 70% at the beginning of August.

Yassine Benchama, member of the board of the CRT of Tanger - Tétouan-Al Hoceima and general manager of the Prestige hotel in Tétouan, specifies that these figures are "well below those achieved in normal times, before the Covid-19 pandemic".

For Nouredine Hallouzi, member of the Regional Association of the Hotel Industry (ARIH) of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima and general manager of the El Yacouta hotel in Tétouan, he expresses all his disappointment, especially with regard to the unfair competition of the informal sector and the rental of furnished apartments. He explains that it is imperative to fight against this competition, and to review the tourism recovery program contract.