Tourism: Marrakech regains momentum | L’Economiste

Gradually, the city of Marrakech finds its normal pace. Since the reopening of the air borders, foreign tourists have returned, and even if the city has not regained all its air capacity, almost all hotels are preparing for the summer season. According to statistics from the Regional Association of the Hotel Industry, several hotels have resumed their activity and reservations are on the rise. Only 41 hotels remained closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, of which around twenty are permanently closed. In Marrakech, it must be said that the professionals have shown themselves to be resilient during the crisis despite closures that took place during the periods of the pandemic, and Marrakech was a special case in the development of Moroccan tourism.
The pandemic has certainly slowed down  the tourism activity, but Marrakech will hopefully regain its momentum, say the professionals, and the “Ocher City” (as the city is nicknamed)  continues to attract tourist investors according to the Marrakech/Safi Regional Investment Center. Not only have hotels in Marrakech been resilient, but they have also shown themselves to be good corporate citizens: in March 2020, and the day after the start of the health crisis, the hotels of the city all mobilized by making their units available for health personnel. Just as they were the first hotels to have met the conditions when asking for assistance from the Government. In this regard, it is the city of Marrakech that monopolizes the lion’s share, as we announced in our issue No. 6249 of April 26, 2022. Of the 495 applications submitted, 187 are from the Marrakech/Safi region, i.e. 38% the overall request for assistance. The region of Marrakech/Safi brings together 40% of Morocco’s bedding capacity with 80,000 beds. The Government support will enable hotel managers to do the repair and overhaul work to begin the summer season. The other component that needs support is animation. With the exception of the Jamaâ El Fna square and the museums and monuments which are more or less “acceptable” in terms of attractiveness, the sector lacks places that make people dream, like what is happening in competing countries such as Turkey or Egypt. To do this, it is necessary to encourage investments in this area and to maintain the existing monuments. Indeed, some monuments are in a dilapidated state which does not make them attractive. And yet, it is entertainment that allows countries to attract tourists and increase the average length of stay (ALOS), a very important indicator for the health of hotels and accommodation establishments. Before Covid-19, the ALOS of Marrakech hardly exceeded 3 nights. 

Badra BERRISSOULE