Morocco’s Tourism Sector Struggles to Recover Amid Ongoing Restrictions

The wait is long and the anger is growing among tourism players, who are bending under the weight of debts and credits for more than 20 months. After the dark period last year and a 2021 summer season close to zero, the much-hoped-for recovery is not there, reports Les Inspirations Eco.

Several sectors have regained the path of resumed activities, but tourism remains inactive, grappling with new health restrictions: cancellation of flights or health pass. These obstacles are easily apprehended through the obligation of the vaccination pass in the public, the postponement of international meetings, the decline in overnight stays, the drop in foreign exchange earnings, the cancellation of certain flights, particularly on the British, German and Dutch markets.

These different markets, the newspaper recalls, represent 25.5% of the national market, i.e. more than a quarter of tourism activity and more than 30% of revenues, for a windfall of 2.22 billion euros in foreign exchange. Added to this is the distance from certain traditional markets such as the cancellation of the organization of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization scheduled in Marrakech from November 30 to December 3, 2021.

Faced with this situation, the operators, plunged into deep uncertainty, are demanding special attention from the new government and hope for concrete and immediate support measures, commensurate with the worsening of the sector’s situation.