. False guides and touts pointed out. The wali wants to clean up the sector Lack of promotional actions and entertainment, absence of “clean” tourist circuits, harassment of tourists by illegal guides and touts, closure of historical sites between 12 and 3 p.m.… these are the black spots which slow down tourist activity in Meknes. This is the opinion of professionals in the sector who met the wali last Wednesday. They took advantage of the opportunity to bring up the old problems that still arise. For them, tourism is literally attacked by fake guides and touts, whether in the medina or around the guest houses. If it is not the false guide, it is the beggars or even the carts. Tourists are also bothered by the bad smells and dirt that litter some alleys. In fact, operators point the finger at the management of garbage collection. They also regret the “deplorable” state of Lahdim Square. Faced with these grievances, Hassan Aourid, wali of the region, proposed the creation of sectoral associations, particularly for guest houses. He also called for perseverance to highlight the assets of Meknes. “Our role is to support you in terms of investment facilitation, security, social, entertainment, services and development of the tourism product,” says Aourid. Regarding the investment aspect, the wali stressed that “large operators are jostling at the gate”. Among them are CDG, Alliance, Atlas Hospitality, and other groups. Who are interested in the development of Jnane Hlima and Sarij Souani, the creation of a tourist village with golf and swimming pool, in addition to other projects relating to the ecosystem. The head of the local authority also recalled that several projects are still pending. These are hotel projects (Oukrid, Wislane, etc.) which had received all authorizations, but whose implementation is stalling for reasons directly linked to the developers. “The latter must comply with the specifications as quickly as possible,” says Aourid, who says he will be uncompromising on these cases. For his part, Mostafa Meskini, president of the Regional Tourism Council (CRT), recalled that the city of Meknes recorded an increase in overnight stays of around 6% this year. And this, despite the financial crisis affecting its main source markets. This means that its considerable heritage wealth (mosques, mederssas, riads, foundouks, etc.) works in its favor. As a result, we must consolidate this framework and think about how to make it work better. In fact, the tourist potential of the city is not valued. Hence the need to program entertainment activities in line with the image and aspirations of the imperial city and increase efforts in terms of promotion. Without forgetting the restoration of monuments. In this regard, the rehabilitation of the Volubilis site would be a great contribution. In any case, the Program for the Regional Development of Tourism (PDRT), which will be ready in a few weeks, will give more visibility to professionals. This program will engage the region over the next 10 years and will answer questions relating to the means of differentiating the medina from Meknes and converting the proximity of Fez into an asset.
