Morocco Overhauls Hotel Classification System to Boost Tourism Industry

The Council of Government adopted in June the implementing decree of Law No. 80.14 relating to tourist establishments and other forms of tourist accommodation. This text, developed by the Ministry of Tourism, Crafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, has been in effect for a few days. It sets the conditions for opening and operating tourist establishments as well as for revising the procedure for granting licenses and classification requests, reports Aujourd’hui le Maroc.

The decree also sets the procedures for granting licenses for the operation of other forms of tourist accommodation, such as bivouacs, casbahs and riads, home stays and alternative accommodation, which require the authorization of the local authorities. The application file for provisional classification and operating approval is filed electronically by the investor, against a receipt, with the Regional Investment Center (CRI).

The Regional Investment Center then forwards the file for opinion to the prefecture or region concerned, as well as to the provincial or regional representative of the government authority in charge of tourism, who will be responsible for studying the file and visiting the tourist accommodation establishment to verify its compliance with the standards.

In case of a favorable opinion from the Unified Regional Investment Committee, the regional representative of the government authority in charge of tourism signs a provisional classification decision. In recent years, the non-compliance with standards and norms by certain professionals has made it difficult to classify Moroccan hotels. Today, the procedure for provisional technical classification has been merged with the procedure for granting the building permit. A measure aimed at reducing delays in procedures.