Tourism in times of crisis: Morocco wants to attract national customers

Text by: RFI Follow

Despite a partial lifting of the containment, the Moroccan authorities decided three days ago to extend the state of health emergency in the major tourist cities of the country. Deprived of foreign tourism, Morocco wants to seduce the national clientele and launches a communication campaign to "make known to Moroccans all the richness and diversity" of their territory.

Publicity

Morocco is one of the countries that have taken very rapid sanitary measures to fight the new coronavirus. The population has observed strict confinement since mid-March, and the borders remain closed.

These restrictions plunge the tourism sector into a severe crisis. In the first four months of the year, the number of tourists fell 45% compared to the same period last year. Without visibility on a date of reopening of borders, tourism professionals rely on local customers to mitigate the economic shock.

Tourism is a key sector, it represents approximately 10% of the wealth of the kingdom. The authorities have therefore launched a communication campaign with their nationals in order to encourage them to travel to their country, even after the restrictions have been lifted, and promise them offers at preferential prices.

But nothing says it will work. Since the opening of many air routes, the wealthy prefer to spend their holidays outside the country. They are particularly fond of the Costa del Sol in Spain, an affordable destination for families with less social constraints.

In 2018, for the first time, Moroccan tourists were more numerous in Spain than Spanish visitors to Morocco.

► Read also: Coronavirus in the Maghreb: after the coronavirus, the fear of socio-economic ills

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Morocco
• Tourism

On the same subject

Covid-19: around 200 Mauritanian nationals repatriated from Morocco and Spain