Morocco Tourism Prices Soar, Sparking Concern Among Expats and Locals

The many Moroccans who have chosen to spend their summer vacation in the tourist cities of the kingdom (83% according to a recent poll) will have to spend at least 700 dirhams for a night’s stay in a residence with a pool. A price that can double from one city to another, warns the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.

In a written question addressed to the Minister of Tourism, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, the parliamentary group of the PPS denounced the surge in prices charged by hotels and restaurants at the beginning of the summer, in a context of high inflation, and asked the authority to take its responsibilities to stop this price increase which is "neither logical nor reasonable".

The PPS asks to set prices according to the purchasing power of citizens, even if the sector is liberal. It also insists on controlling the quality of the products and services offered by these establishments. But, recalls the daily, the Moroccan tourism sector faces many dysfunctions that the Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor is called upon to find solutions to in order to promote domestic tourism.

The PPS also wants to know the steps taken by the ministry to allow Moroccans residing in the kingdom, like those residing abroad, to have a great summer vacation. According to a recent survey, 49% of Moroccans plan to travel this summer, 3 points more than last year. But with the rise in prices, 35% plan to give up.