Morocco’s Tourism Industry in Crisis: 80 Hotels Face Closure in Key Destinations

According to sources cited by the daily Al Akhbar, 30 establishments in Marrakech, 30 in Agadir and 20 in Ouarzazate are going through a difficult situation and risk declaring bankruptcy. This situation will certainly be detrimental to national tourism, given that these three cities contribute 60% to the kingdom’s tourism revenues.

Several factors have led to this situation, explain the same sources, noting a drop in income and investments in the sector and the lack of public subsidies. Several hotel units have also closed for renovation needs, they add, assuring that the earthquake that hit the Al Haouz region is not the cause of this situation, but has certainly contributed to it.

To get out of this difficult situation, tourism professionals are calling on the state for help. They are asking it to invest in the sector, particularly in the major tourist areas, and to support job creation in these regions. Others recommend the creation of a Moroccan Agency for the Promotion of Tourism.

"The government has just put in place an ambitious development program for the tourism sector," confirmed a representative of a professional association in the sector in Marrakech. In addition, the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment has also put in place an action plan to assist these units in difficulty.