With the worsening health situation in Europe and the closure of its borders, Morocco should not receive any foreign visitors during next summer and hoteliers can only count on local tourists to fill their establishments. While being cautious on a third wave, the Minister of Tourism, Nadia Fettah, thinks that the operators will do better than the summer of 2020.

com_redaction-44

Faced for the second consecutive year with a total absence of foreign arrivals, hoteliers will only be able to receive Moroccans during the next summer season. Will they be more or less numerous than last summer?

Media 24 asked the Minister of Tourism and Air Transport if the summer will mobilize all nationals used to travel during normal periods and if they would limit damage.

Wanting to be positive, Nadia Fettah explains to us that the number of domestic tourists could absolutely not be less than during last summer because the hoteliers are now prowled.

“It is worth being optimistic because we have learned a lot of lessons from the last year to plan better with all stakeholders and not have a false start when the time comes.”

“Knowing that we will not be caught off guard, I believe that if we prepare well, more nationals will be visiting the main tourist destinations in the Kingdom.

“In my opinion, it will therefore go much better than last summer, unless a third wave of harsher contamination does not call into question all our preparations with new restrictive traffic measures”, advance Fettah who while remaining prudent adds that the current health situation in Morocco pleads for a much better summer season than in 2020.

If it is still too early to say, another source confirms the optimism of the minister by citing the label put in place during the summer of 2020 with many health security measures.

“In fact, today visitors who come to hotels are much more reassured than at the start of the creation of this label because the hotel reception process is fully developed.

“In addition, the aid distributed by the CNSS has enabled hoteliers to keep part of their staff but also to rehire seasonal workers if necessary”, specifies our source who wishes to remain anonymous.

“Finally, with the closing of the borders, it is to be welcomed that the many Moroccans who are used to traveling abroad in the summer will spend their money in Morocco.

“Knowing that this high-end clientele has a large budget and that they only frequent 5-star hotels, their presence will greatly help to save part of the summer season”, concludes our hotelier, who nevertheless hopes that wealthy nationals will diversify their destinations instead of simply bringing happiness to the northern region like last summer.

In the end, knowing that it is certain that Moroccans will have no other choice but to travel to their country, the sector should therefore achieve better performance next summer than in 2020 unless a new general containment don’t come and ruin everything …

Samir El Ouardighi

April 05, 2021 at
12:29

Modified April 05, 2021 at 13:01