Morocco’s Wedding Industry Faces Crisis as Summer Celebrations Plummet

"The event planning sector, particularly weddings, is experiencing an unprecedented decline this year in terms of attendance and the number of events organized," said the vice-president and spokesperson of the Moroccan Union of Event Hall Owners and Managers to Hespress. He is surprised that "the months usually marked by high attendance, particularly July and August, are experiencing an unusual coolness this year." Even "the Moroccan community residing abroad, which was one of the elements of the economic cycle during the summer holidays, did not contribute with the same dynamism this year, due to the persistent expectations of a decrease in returns this year," he noted, stressing that the relative absence of MREs on the economic scene during the current season "has further complicated the situation of professionals."

Why is the events sector sliding downhill? "This decline is the result of accumulations that began since the Covid-19 pandemic, which has modified the structure of social relations and celebration modes. [...] Each year after the pandemic has been worse than the previous one, both in terms of the number of events and their size and organization. [...] The sector is experiencing a difficult situation for the fourth consecutive year without any real recovery," he explained. According to him, this quantitative decline is also explained by a regression of the social and traditional dimension of Moroccan marriage. "Large family gatherings have disappeared and events have lost their collective character, which has led to a change in the perception of marriage. [...] This change has become an integral part of the post-pandemic culture, which has established a certain social distancing," he further explained.

The economic crisis and the high cost of living have also had a negative impact on the events sector. "The rise in prices has affected everything related to the organization of parties, services, meals, rentals and human resources, which has led many families to reorganize their priorities. [...] Purchasing power has become limited, which has reduced the size of parties, and has even led some couples to postpone or give up on them," he observed. In addition to these upcoming problems, "the sector faces additional challenges represented by the spread of ’illegal competition’ from villas and private estates illegally used to organize parties without authorization or compliance with safety and health conditions, which is a danger for customers," he added.

Based on this observation, the Moroccan Union of Event Hall Owners and Managers "has filed an official complaint with the Ministry of the Interior, which has responded by sending a circular to the walis and governors," he said, insisting, however, on "the need for serious implementation and on-site control to circumscribe the illegal activities targeting an organized sector and harming it."