Northern Morocco Tourism Slump: Hotels and Restaurants Face Unprecedented Crisis

In northern Morocco, this year there is a low influx of tourists on the tourist offer of the region, yet classified as one of the attractive destinations of the kingdom. In Al Hoceima, one of the most active tourist destinations during the summer season, hotels, restaurants and cafes are facing a severe lack of customers. "The situation is very bad this year. We are seeing a significant drop in bookings and customers compared to previous years. [...] Hotels are suffering from an unprecedented lack of occupancy this summer," worries Mohammeda, a tourism industry player who manages a hotel establishment.

Al Hoceima is not an isolated case. The coastal villages, a large part of whose inhabitants depend on seasonal activities stimulated by the summer season, are also facing the same difficulties. It is common to see young people waving keys, indicating the availability of apartments and houses for rent at the entrance to the coastal village of Amsa, in the province of Tetouan. But these offers do not interest the users of national road number 16.

Several factors explain the low influx of tourists in hotels, cafes and restaurants in northern Morocco. For many analysts, these are the consequences of the economic situation affecting a large part of the middle class, particularly after the distress that has struck the arrangements of many families for the summer vacation following the early payment of June salaries due to Eid al-Adha. Another factor: the competition from new tourist destinations in the south of the kingdom. Many tourists are rushing to other tourist destinations, particularly in Marrakech and Agadir, as well as new destinations such as the city of Dakhla. The latter is attracting a growing number of tourists. The beauty of its landscapes and the diversity of its tourist activities make it the destination of choice for many Moroccan and foreign visitors.