Tourism is not likely to be among the government’s priorities during this period of crisis. The program contract signed with the professionals proved to be a publicity announcement. Only one agreement out of the 10 provided for in this contract has, for the moment, been initialed.
Tourism is almost at a standstill and hoteliers can no longer see the end of the tunnel. The year 2020 is a year to forget for Moroccan tourism, one of the country’s most strategic economic sectors and one of Morocco’s main sources of employment. Hotel closures are likely to increase in the coming days as well as bankruptcies of companies operating in the sector, worsening unemployment, which risks exceeding the rate of 13% this year.
Despite the signing, with great fanfare, of a program contract with the State, professionals in the sector are still scraping by and have no visibility. Has this program contract really been operationalized or is it just an announcement effect?
Contacted by us, Lahcen Zelmat, president of the National Federation of the Hotel Industry (FNIH), does not hide his great disappointment with the delay in the implementation of this program contract. “Nothing, or almost nothing, has been done. Only one agreement was signed among the 10 provided for in the program contract, and concerns compensation of 2,000 dirhams paid by the National Social Security Fund, in addition to the credits that could be obtained from banks. On this last point, only half of the banks are playing the game. The sector is extremely devastated, we can shout our suffering from the rooftops. But, apparently, tourism is not the priority of the government and the economic monitoring committee,” regrets Zelmat.
Extension of the program contract
According to him, in almost all the countries which have supported their tourist operators, the State has granted aid, particularly on the tax level. “In Morocco, we were sent back to the banks to get into debt. This is insane. How will we repay these credits from January 2021? I don’t understand the logic of this government,” asks our interlocutor.
Despite its non-operationalization, professionals are asking for an extension of the program contract, especially on its compensation aspect for employees in the sector. “We have requested an extension until June 2021, or at least until next March. But the economic monitoring committee did not respond to us,” says Zelmat.
After the announcement of several communication campaigns by the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT), as well as the resumption of flights by low-cost airlines, nothing has really changed yet. Indeed, restrictive travel measures, whether at the national or international level, are the main constraint faced by professionals. Without mobility, no tourism. Result: low-cost air carriers have decided to put their flight program to Morocco on hold or have reduced their capacity.
source: maroc-hebdo.press.ma
