Tourism: when Morocco outsources its national image to France

The ONMT does not seem to be sparing any expense to take care of its online image. The Office has signed a check for nearly 50 million dirhams to afford "storytelling" services and content production. The beneficiary? A consortium dominated by the French agencies Heaven and Hopscotch Tourism.

This choice revives criticism about the "complex of the foreign expert". Many professionals wonder: does the Kingdom lack local skills to promote its own culture? For many, entrusting this mission to Parisian companies looks like an unjustified hemorrhage of currency, notes Al3omk.

The strategy itself is debated. A significant portion of the budget aims to attract "international influencers". Critics see this as a form of free tourism financed by the taxpayer, for ephemeral "stories" whose real impact on the local economy remains to be proven.

A lack of transparency pointed out

The anger is also carried by analysts like Youssef Saoud, who denounces a "fixed mentality" and a lack of a culture of results. According to him, spending fortunes to invite influencers to self-sufficient events like the CAN is an economic nonsense.

He points to a glaring lack of transparency compared to international standards. In the United States, for example, tourist offices must justify the return on investment of every tax dollar spent. In Morocco, this clarity is lacking, leaving doubts about the real effectiveness of these campaigns.

This affair risks widening the gap between citizens and institutions. Without clear communication on the concrete benefits of these 46 million dirhams in terms of jobs and income, the image of the ONMT could emerge tarnished from this controversy.