Moroccan tourism professionals optimistic despite crisis

22/06/2009

Government and tourism leaders in Morocco are working together to promote the industry in the face of a souring economy.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Casablanca – 22/06/09

[Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images] Tourism income in foreign currency is down 19% over last year in Morocco.

Moroccan officials and tourism professionals concluded a meeting of the tourism board in Saïda on Saturday (June 20th), agreeing to undertake new measures to protect the vital sector from the worst effects of the global economic crisis.

According to official figures released by the ministry of tourism, the number of overnight stays in rated hotel accommodation was down 3% over the first four months of 2009, compared with the same period in 2008. At the end of April, the room occupancy rate was down to 41%, compared with 44% a year earlier. Foreign currency income generated by tourism fell by 19% over the first four months of 2009, compared with the same period in 2008.

Tourism Minister Mohamed Boussaid admitted that the crisis has slowed down the completion of part of the "Azur Plan", which includes the creation of a number of seaside resorts. The first resort just opened its doors on June 19th, but a number of delays have affected the completion of the resorts in Taghazout, Lixus, and Plage Blanche.

Despite the setbacks, tourism professionals and the government remain optimistic.

Boussaid said it is inappropriate to talk of a crisis, stating that the industry has performed well in light of the extent of the world crisis.

"True, receipts in the sector are down," he continued, "but there are a number of reasons... particularly shorter stays by tourists and reduced consumption."

He explained that the drop in overnight stays in hotels also owes to greater choice of accommodation types, quoting a ministry study from April 2009, which showed that 50% of tourists prefer to stay in guesthouses or apartments rather than hotel rooms.

Othman Cherif Alami, President of the National Tourism Federation, described the measures agreed upon in Saïda. He said the federation promised to design new marketing programmes to attract fresh business, to maintain jobs, and to set up an incentive system for employees.

Industry leaders in tourism signed an agreement with the government on June 9th to bolster the sector during the current crisis. The specific goal was to increase share in six priority markets (France, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and the Benelux countries) and maintain growth in the numbers of people coming into the country.

A budget of 300 million dirhams was set aside to promote Morocco as a destination and to develop the provision of air travel for tourists. Professionals pledged to contribute actively to the promotion of international and domestic tourism, to develop continuing education activities for staff, to safeguard jobs, and to adapt to the changing distribution channels in the main markets by stepping up their presence on the Internet.

The tourism minister also underlined his agency's determination to pursue the completion of major projects and to overhaul the hotel industry, particularly by increasing accommodation capacity and carrying out structural reform in tourism-based careers and legal and regulatory frameworks, and by restructuring the distribution sector.