Morocco Seeks to Boost Religious Tourism, Looks to Lourdes for Inspiration

This delegation, composed of several municipal officials, visited the Marian city with a view to transferring expertise in the management of religious tourism, under the impetus of the Delegation for the External Action of Local Authorities (DAECT) which depends on the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, reported ladepeche.fr.

According to the same source, the province of Khénifra in Morocco is home to a holy mausoleum in the village of Moulay Bouazza that welcomes thousands of pilgrims each year. In this regard, the delegation made the trip to learn from the experience of the city of Lourdes. "We came to learn," explains Mohammed Mohattane, former Moroccan minister in charge of rural development.

According to him, the city of Khenifra does not have the necessary infrastructure to welcome religious tourists; but they are trying to remedy this. "Seeing what can be done here is therefore an opportunity; and we hope to be able to learn from the Lourdes experience," he said.