By Albert Savana.
This is the first major incident between Aziz Akhannouch’s government and the business community. Faced with an avalanche of cancellations of stays by foreign tourists following the authorities’ decision to suspend flights to and from Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the National Tourism Confederation has issued a virulent press release accusing the government of “pushing the sector to certain death”. On condition of anonymity, some operators speak of “amateurism”.
The temporary “ban” by the Moroccan government of flights from Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, three major global providers of tourist flows due to the risk associated with “Covid-19” was followed by the renunciation by Morocco to host the general assembly of the World Tourism Organization (OMT), an event on which Moroccan professionals counted to relaunch an overdue activity since March 2020. “The decision to suspend all flights from and destined for four major markets of the Morocco destination, reduced hopes of recovery to nothing ”, fulminates the Confederation of Tourism. These basins that emit tourists for the winter season suddenly close, plunging an already experienced area into disarray.
Operators now fear the side effects of this decision. Effects that were not long in coming. From Marrakech to Agadir via Fez, hoteliers no longer count the cascading cancellations not only of “closed” markets, but also of traditional markets such as France, the main source of demand for international tourism to Morocco.
The sector weighs 7% of the GDP
Morocco’s equally brutal renunciation of hosting the general assembly of the World Tourism Organization, initially scheduled in Marrakech from November 30 to December 3, 2021 and since moved to Madrid, has plunged Moroccan tourism professionals at bay. This decision will have serious consequences for the image and credibility of the destination among influencers of the travel industry, warns the National Tourism Confederation.
By the way, tourism professionals remind the government of not having kept all the commitments contained in the 2020-2022 program contract, the objective of which was to support companies in the sector and preserve jobs. “The situation is becoming more and more untenable for tourism companies, all professions combined, which have already dried up their cash flow,” warns the CNT.
The payment of the fixed compensation of 2,000 dirhams (200 euros) for the benefit of employees in the sector has ceased since June 30, 2021. Tourism professionals now fear a “tsunami” of layoffs. Tourism is a vital sector of the Moroccan economy. It represents 7% of the GDP and is the second source of foreign currency in the country, just behind remittances from Moroccans residing abroad. The sector employs nearly 400,000 people.
