Morocco Unveils Secret Hotel Inspections to Boost Tourism Quality

"Professionals in the hotel sector do not oppose the principle of secret visits that will be integrated into the new quality service evaluation procedures, in accordance with what the Ministry of Tourism has announced," said Ahmed Bennani, president of the Regional Association of the Hotel Industry Marrakech-Safi, to Hespress. According to him, improving the tourist experience requires a diversity of control and evaluation mechanisms, provided that they are carried out according to objective criteria and rigorous professional standards. "The sector is evolving today in a context of rapid digital transformation, and global online booking and travel platforms allow customers to evaluate hotels publicly and transparently; which in itself is an automatic control mechanism and encourages hotel establishments to improve the quality of their services and offer a welcoming environment worthy of Morocco’s image as a global tourist destination," adds Bennani.

He was keen to specify that "the evaluation, whether carried out secretly through unannounced visits or publicly through customer comments and evaluations, remains a positive and commendable approach, as long as the ultimate goal is to push the profession towards excellence and satisfy customers, provided that this evaluation is based on clear foundations and is carried out by qualified experts for this purpose." However, he believes that "secret visits, despite their importance, cannot be the decisive tool to determine whether the establishment really deserves its current classification." He will add: "the process requires competence and sufficient training to evaluate establishments according to precise criteria, because we do not have the same experience in Morocco as other European countries, which have consulting firms to assist them in this mission."

For his part, the president of the Regional Association of the Hotel Industry Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, agreed with Bennani. However, he believes that "the evaluation of the quality of hotel services cannot be objective and fair based on a single stay; the criteria adopted in this field are rigorous and numerous, and require a more global reading of the establishment’s situation." His federation proposes to carry out two mystery customer visits instead of one, "in order to avoid any possible injustice resulting from an evaluation based on a circumstantial or exceptional experience." For him, "the involvement of professionals in this dynamic reflects a collective awareness of the importance of strengthening competitiveness, improving the tourist experience and raising standards in line with Morocco’s strategic ambitions and aspirations."