Morocco: 13 million tourists per year, almost three million in Marrakech alone. But that was before the coronavirus pandemic. Today, the Jemaa el-Fna square, usually so lively, remains desperately deserted. Marrakech, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is only a shadow of itself. And in the souks of the medina, sellers pace back and forth waiting for customers who do not arrive.
“We open our stores just to pass the time because there are no sales,” laments Said Kahlaoui, a djellabas seller. I pray to God that the authorities find a solution, especially for the airports, so that tourists can return. »
In July, with the end of confinement, the sector hoped to absorb its losses and focused on domestic tourism. But beyond the borders, eight cities, including Marrakech, have been closed to visitors.
And the pandemic is experiencing a new outbreak, with more than 8,000 daily cases recorded recently.
“Tourism activity, in Marrakech and throughout Morocco, has completely stopped,” confides Jalil Habti Idrissi, manager of a travel agency. We have experienced other crises as important as this, but never of this magnitude. »
Small glimmer of hope: a recent relaxation for travelers not subject to visa formalities, upon presentation of two negatives less than 48 hours old, and on condition that they arrive on board special flights operated by national companies.
source:fr.euronews.com
