Last minute decisions, inability to reimburse, lack of visibility for the future… Moroccan hoteliers no longer know whether they should resist or give up. Those who tried it bitterly regret it.
This year, the Eid Al-Adha festival was not easy. When the intercity traffic ban was announced, many people took to the road at the same time. For those who couldn’t move, the sheep was bought for nothing. And then, there is a third category who had planned to travel with a hotel reservation. For them, it was a cold shower: no vacation, no party.
But what about the hoteliers who, despite the efforts, the pressure, the calls for help, still cannot see the end of the tunnel? The day after confinement, 50% of hotels remained closed. Those who still tried the adventure are biting their fingers. In particular the clubs which, according to the daily L’Economiste, generally achieve, during this period, a 100% occupancy rate.
In 2020, tourism did not experience the same success. Indeed, open hotels recorded an occupancy rate of less than 8%, with the exception of a club located on the road to Fez, which experienced an occupancy rate of 25%. “We lost a third of our customers because of the mix-up and last-minute decisions to prohibit travel between 8 cities. Our customers were afraid of not being able to come or of being blocked at the entrance to Marrakech. And for those who are there, we pushed hard by calling them to reassure them,” explains an executive from the establishment to the economic newspaper.
Apart from the usual local tourists who had to cancel their trip, MREs did not come this year. Given the decisions taken late and the risk of not being able to return to their host country, they simply canceled their summer visit.
As with hotels that remained open, some travelers tried to find some respite. This was without taking into account the decision of July 26 which pushed local tourists to leave hotel establishments demanding a refund for their stay.
However, players in the sector have invested more than 300,000 dirhams per hotel to implement a health protocol. The only « winners » in history, the Taghazout and Tamouda Bay resort which were able to recover their customers after July 26 since, with a reservation, Rbatis, Casablanca and Fassi travelers were able to go there.
