Morocco Tourism Slumps as French Visitors Decline Sharply

Moroccan tourism is going through dark days. At the root of this malaise are a few less than flattering situations.

These include, among others, the bankruptcy of the British tour operator Thomas Cook, the stagnation of the French market, the economic recession, the Imlil tragedy, the controversy around Belgian volunteers dressed in shorts and the quality of Human Resources and services.

Tourist flows from France have again fallen by 12% in terms of arrivals, and by 6% for overnight stays, in July, reports L’économiste.

According to the same source, industry professionals who requested anonymity stated that these declines would be much more significant for this market, which represents more than a third of the volume of tourism for non-residents, in Marrakech.

Faced with the situation, Lahcen Zelmat, Vice-President of the CRT of Marrakech and President of the National Federation of the Hotel Industry, calls for mobilization to restore confidence in Marrakech.

Everything suggests that France is once again developing a disaffection for Moroccan tourism. The reasons would be diverse and varied.

These include the decline in the purchasing power of the French, the impact of the yellow vest movement in France, the cancellation of some links between the two countries and the media lynching directed against Marrakech by French media.

"We are making every effort to end the year with positive figures. We also plan to negotiate new partnerships at the Top Resa Show," said Khalid Mimi, the delegate of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) in Paris, optimistically.