Morocco’s Untapped Mountain Tourism Potential Draws Criticism in Parliament

During an oral question session in Parliament on Monday, the parliamentarian criticized the Minister of Tourism, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, on the weakness of infrastructure for mountain tourism in Morocco. "We are lazy students compared to neighboring experiences," said Aïcha El Karji, citing the example of Portugal where mountain tourism attracts nearly 10 million tourists, 40% of whom are Spanish.

The deputy reported a low attractiveness of domestic tourism in general and mountain tourism in particular. "We cannot hide the sun with a sieve, the reality of mountain tourism is characterized by the weakness of infrastructure and services in general in many regions," she stressed, before asking the minister what actions she has taken or intends to take to encourage investment in mountain tourism.

"Encouraging mountain tourism, is it opening an air route to Ouarzazate?" launched the head of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) group in the House of Representatives, also denouncing the weakness of infrastructure in the regions and provinces. "There are natural landscapes, there is just a lack of infrastructure," she affirmed, citing the case of the province of Boulemane in the Fès-Meknès region.