Here we are in a new municipal management, through the new elections of September 4, 2015. Morocco had established, in 2010, tourism as a national economic priority. Unfortunately, the dimension of tourism development has always been ignored by elected officials at the town hall level, as well as at the level of urban communes, rural communes and regional councils, with one or two good examples, as was the case for the Souss Massa Draa Region…
Here we are in a new municipal management, through the new elections of September 4, 2015. Morocco had established, in 2010, tourism as a national economic priority. Unfortunately, the dimension of tourism development has always been ignored by elected officials at the town hall level, as well as at the level of urban communes, rural communes and regional councils, with one or two good examples, as was the case for the Souss Massa Draa Region…
Tourist development has never had the necessary interest within municipal management. It is high time that this changes given the importance of the sector in the economic and social aspect, with the creation of jobs and its multi-sectoral impact generating an economic dynamic which contributes to the reduction of social inequalities and the improvement of living standards of local populations. It is also very important to create a tourism department within each urban or rural municipality and of course within the Regional Councils, to closely follow the evolution of the sector and participate in it in a dynamic way.
Therefore, the good governance of local institutions, regarding strategic development projects, must imperatively include the priority of tourism. It is obvious that this is essential in the country’s urban tourist destinations (Marrakech, Agadir, Fez, Meknes, Tangier, Ouarzazate, Zagora, among others…) but also in municipalities with great tourist potential in rural areas, in the mountains, on the coasts and in the desert.
Without a well-thought-out and well-conducted coherent project, the tourism action initiated by elected officials risks being limited to a few operations that are certainly useful (promotion, welcoming visitors, etc.) but insufficient to establish the future of an economic component of primary importance, throughout the national territory and almost in all municipalities.
It should be remembered that the diversity of the Moroccan tourist product is so rich that we can adapt a given product to the climatic, natural, ecological, cultural environment specific to each municipality. This ranges from rural tourism, through sports tourism, trekking, water sports, cultural tourism, outdoor tourism, sea trips, excursions and discoveries, etc. This must also include the development and preservation of our heritage riches.
It should also be emphasized that tourism, being inherently transversal, the quality of the chain of tourist services will depend not only on the action of the municipality in the strict field of tourism, but also on other areas, such as, for example, roads, maintenance of communal spaces, sanitation, waste management, green spaces, maintenance of public toilets, cultural policy, community life, entertainment and tourist information… Tourism is an inseparable whole: it is the component of several daily interventions. It is necessary for the good management of tourism, by elected officials, to permanently adopt an edifying consultation with professionals in the sector, the associative environment, but also with residents. The inhabitants are generally proud of their territory, and of their tourist and heritage assets and must find their place in participating in good management of the tourist project. The inhabitants are, in fact, guarantors of the quality of welcome, the stay and the maintenance of a minimum standard which ensures visitor satisfaction and good tourist promotion of the product. Their involvement is therefore necessary…
Is all this possible, within the framework of the new election of new municipal elected officials? Yes, of course, if there is the necessary political good will, based on good training and information on the importance of tourism in local development. Working visits to neighboring countries, leaders in tourism (Spain and France, notably Turkey as well), as well as partnerships (within the framework of decentralized management) are essential for the new elected officials to absorb what is good elsewhere, from the representatives of the populations regarding the development of tourism. And thus be able to adapt it according to the economic potential and assets of each municipality.
Mastering the ins and outs of local tourism issues is the start of good management which can only bear fruit in the short, medium and long term. It is obvious that elected officials are not experts in tourism development. It is therefore in their great interest to get closer to professionals in the field (and vice versa) in order to undertake conclusive work in perfect synergy. This must affect the promotion aspect but also that of entertainment, tourist information and urban upgrading which fits with a tourist destination for which the tourism sector is its main focus.
thr magazine
