2023-09-11 21:14:41
If this sector is one of the pillars of the Moroccan economy, professionals are confident about the attractiveness of the country in the coming weeks.
In Morocco, a real race against time began this Friday evening. Since the earthquake, some rescuers have been clearing the rubble while others use their equipment.sound listening» to find survivors. Time is running out: for the time being, the Ministry of the Interior has deplored the death of more than 2,800 people and around 2,500 injured. Beyond the humanitarian aspect, there is also the question of the economic consequences of this disaster, Morocco depending, in particular, on the benefits of tourism.
This activity cannot stop, otherwise it will endanger the country’s economy: “In Moroccan GDP, tourism represents a share of 7%, which is five times more than Tunisia», Notes Danièle Küss, former head of the international tourism development department at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It is even the country’s leading source of export revenue, ahead of agri-food, automobiles, chemicals and oil.», adds Armelle Solelhac, creator of the SWiTCH foresight agency, specializing in tourism. While it is vital for the country’s economy, tourism also provides a living “5% of the population“, either “50,000 Moroccans», Specifies the expert.
Read alsoMorocco: ruins and desolation at the epicenter of the earthquake
Few cancellations
For now, fortunately, the disaster has not pushed tourists to turn back, professionals note. For Selectour, thus, of the 600 departures planned between Saturday, Sunday and this Monday, “only 19 cancellations were recorded“. An observation shared by Jean-Pierre Mas, president of Entreprises du voyage: “It’s very surprising, the cancellations remain minimal and there were a lot of departures this weekend.“. Part of the explanation lies in the fact that the areas affected by the earthquake were far from the territories most popular with tourists, which were more preserved.
For these tourism players, there is therefore no reason to cancel your trip, provided you take some precautions. “If a stay in Marrakech remains possible, circuits to the south of the city are not recommended, specifies Jean-Pierre Masit would be indecent for tourists to clog the roads“. Some companies have adapted, such as TUI, which “has decided to cancel all excursions to Marrakech and Agadir on September 9, 10 and 11“. Until the end of the week, some groups are also offering to modify or postpone their trip, like Air France.
Read alsoEarthquake in Morocco: between the king and Emmanuel Macron, a difficult “humanitarian diplomacy”
“A pre-Covid attendance”
The objective is thus to ensure the arrival of tourists, while the “high season» until May. Professionals are betting big on this period, and want to maintain the exceptional results recorded over the first six months of the year. “Morocco has regained its pre-Covid attendance», underlines Jean-Pierre Mas. “Around 6.5 million tourists» have thus crossed “border posts during the first half of 2023», an increase of 92% in one year, notes the Moroccan Tourism Observatory. Tourism receipts from non-residents in Morocco also soared, to 47.9 billion dirhams (4.38 billion euros), at the end of June 2023, “against 28.3 billion dirhams (2.59 billion euros) in 2022 (+69%)».
French visitors are particularly popular. Over one year, 75% more people have visited the country, or 415,000 additional people. Next comes Spain with a surge of 180% in Iberian tourists (407,000 more) and the United Kingdom, at +100% and 167,000 additional tourists. “Morocco is a major destination, widely recognized internationally», confirms Danièle Krüss, who cites, as an illustration, the visit of the World Tourism Organization to Marrakech for its executive council, last November. An event thatshows the mobilization of the country» to promote its tourist activity, according to the expert.
The earthquake will force Rabat to reconsider its way of regulating tourism, adds Danièle Krüss. For example, many buildings can be rebuilt with seismic standards, which was not the case for three-quarters of them. A change reminiscent of the case of Indonesia after the tsunami of December 2004. “Everything was destroyed but international tourism returned very quickly», recalls the former head of the international tourism development division.
Likewise, the disaster, by putting the country in the spotlight, could cause “the arrival of new tourists» : «There are those who have never thought of going to these destinations and others who want to see the disasters with their own eyes», Quotes the fine connoisseur. These new arrivals contribute to the recovery of tourism and the economy of these countries. For tourism in Morocco, this earthquake should therefore have limited effects, estimates Jean-Pierre Mas. Encouraging news both for travelers, but also for an entire territory in the reconstruction phase. “The country needs the return of tourists, people must go to Morocco, everything is green», concludes, for his part, Laurent Abitbol, the president of Havas Voyage and Selectour.
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