Tourism in Morocco: towards a catastrophic year 2020

While the summer season should more or less mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, domestic tourists are not there in hotels, especially in the seaside segment, in this month of July. By force of circumstances, the uncertainty linked to the duration of the state of health emergency, the latter having been extended until August 10, 2020, to the closure of borders to foreign tourists, who are also encouraged to spend their vacations in their country, to the difficulties encountered by Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) in returning to the country and to the delay relating to promotional measures and offers in favor of the national market are further penalizing tourist activity in Morocco. “It is very likely that the achievements of this atypical season of 2020 would be close to the figures recorded in the early 1980s,” predicts Zoubir Bouhout, director of the Provincial Tourism Council in Ouarzazate, as part of a statistical study carried out to monitor the repercussions of this health crisis on national tourism

According to this study, the number of arrivals should exceed 2.37 million tourists, a loss of more than 10.5 million tourists compared to the 2019 season, mainly due to the 5.5 million foreign stay tourists (TES) and the 4.9 million fewer MREs. Regarding nights, estimates would be around 5.8 million, a loss of nearly 19.5 million nights compared to 2019, including more than 5.8 million nights generated by internal tourism. As a reminder, Moroccan tourism has experienced a clear evolution in terms of arrivals, overnight stays and foreign exchange earnings since 2012. From 9.37 million tourists, arrivals increased to 12.93 million tourists in 2019, while overnight stays increased from 17.56 million to 25.24 million during the period 2012-2019. This performance had a very positive impact on foreign exchange earnings, which increased from MAD 57.8 billion in 2012 to MAD 78.7 billion in 2019.

This consequence of the health crisis, which was anticipated following various developments, is being confirmed day by day. “The sector lacks visibility on its future. Apart from a few hotels, the majority of establishments remained empty during the month of July, and professionals will sail on sight during the month of August,” explains Najia Ounassar, president of the Agadir Hotel Industry Association (AIHA). In addition to the upheavals of the exam period, the celebration of Eid Al-Adha will reduce aspirations for a resumption of activity for a while, with a return to school planned for the beginning of September. Agadir, popular during the summer period by nationals, recorded an average occupancy rate which did not exceed, according to the AIHA, 20% during July on a classified capacity estimated at 32,000 beds. Reservations forecasts are promising for Taghazout resort (4 operational hotels), including rental accommodation north of Agadir. “The Imi Ouaddar station dedicated to internal tourism is full in July and August because the product is already adapted to this segment,” it is indicated. For their part, according to forecasts made by the regional tourism council, the repercussions of this health crisis, with a closure of borders until the end of December, would generate 2.2 billion dirhams in losses on the tourist chain in the destination.

source: lesiteinfo.com