In an international environment marked by a strong recession penalizing the leisure and travel sector, the Hotel Industry Association (A I H) of Marrakech, like other tourist destinations in the Kingdom, wanted to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the situation which has been plaguing their sector since the start of the 2011-2012 season.
In an international environment marked by a strong recession penalizing the leisure and travel sector, the Hotel Industry Association (A I H) of Marrakech, like other tourist destinations in the Kingdom, wanted to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the situation which has been plaguing their sector since the start of the 2011-2012 season.
In a spirit of responsibility, hoteliers in Marrakech sent a letter to the Local Authorities raising awareness and providing information on the severity of the drop in demand and its impact on the operation of the units. This letter was the subject of an erroneous interpretation by certain press media which amplified or even distorted the spirit of this letter.
Certainly the situation remains fragile, the distribution system was battered in all European markets at the end of 2011, nevertheless, the involvement of hotel professionals and in particular the 21 signatories of the letter remain convinced that Marrakech constitutes a destination with strong resistance and great value which must very quickly resume its growth as soon as the source markets experience a recovery. In the meantime, they recommended a certain number of support measures aimed at cushioning the effects of the drop in attendance in the city as a preventative measure and thus preserving the production tool.
Mobilizing against the effect of the global and European recession does not in any way mean that part of the production tool is threatened with closure, contrary to the rapid interpretation of certain media. The professionalism of the operators, their citizenship and their historical involvement in tourism completely reinforces their conviction to get through this drop in activity with serenity without falling into any panic management. All professionals and the authorities concerned are strongly mobilized in order to curb the effects of the situation.
The President of the AIH (the Association of the Hotel Industry of Marrakech)
The President FNIH (National Federation of the Hotel Industry)
Marrakech February 8, 2012
