Little by little, the gloom in the tourism sector sets in and cancellations or postponements are happening in spades with an obvious impact on cash flow. Professionals expected it, but remain hopeful: “It’s a crisis like any other and we will be able to overcome it.”
The coronavirus is claiming victims all over the world, but the first to be impacted is the tourism sector and, in recent days, that of events. Just as in Paris and several European capitals of mice, gatherings are now prohibited to slow the spread of the coronavirus and avoid the risk of contagion.
In Morocco and, following the international development of Covid-19, the government has decided to ban until the end of March all events involving the participation of people from abroad. All conferences, cultural or sporting meetings, whatever they may be, are therefore canceled. The same goes for events bringing together more than 1,000 people, residents or not, in a closed place.
For Marrakech, whose high season normally starts around the last week of March, no less than a hundred events, medium and small, are canceled. The professionals, while sticking to the terms of the government’s decision, called on their peers and their staff to maintain the principles of hospitality and welcoming tourists while ensuring compliance with the rules of hygiene and prevention.
Hotels and tour operators will remain very flexible, for all land services. Thus, groups and individuals who have decided or are obliged to postpone their travel and stays will have “credits” to use after the resumption. This was decided at a meeting held on March 6, at the initiative of tour operators and hoteliers. While there is no postponement penalty, customers should check availability.
The meeting was also an opportunity to make arrangements in terms of hygiene and awareness of staff and customers in hotels and restaurants. Some have already started. Thus, at Naoura Barrière, good practices are presented upon arrival at the establishment and hydro-alcoholic gels are distributed free of charge to customers and staff.
In addition, tour operators, hoteliers and transporters will start training sessions this week for all staff in coordination with Onssa, the Pasteur Institute and the regional delegations of the Ministry of Health. The fact remains that the trip that sells dreams is seriously compromised given the fear, even the panic, that the virus creates.
“It is not so much the health situation in Morocco that will influence the tourist market, but rather that experienced by our European source markets,” summarizes a professional from Marrakech. And we have known it for a long time: when Europe sneezes, Morocco catches a cold. In France, for example, health authorities recommend that citizens postpone travel abroad, as far as possible as long as the epidemic intensifies.
Of course, Marrakech, whose main market is France, is directly impacted by this recommendation. Airlines, for their part, have grounded several planes from their fleet. Lufthansa will ground 125 short and medium-haul aircraft flights due to the drop in air traffic generated by the epidemic. Air France is experiencing serious difficulties linked to the coronavirus… and it’s not over!
source leconomiste.com
