After two years of shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic which shook the world and gave the final blow to the tourism sector, the many festivals currently organized in Morocco and scheduled this summer in many cities have given a boost to the tourism sector.
The Gnaoua Tour festival, the festival of sacred music in Fez, Lost Nomads Festival in Marrakech, Agadir Culture, Jazzablanca (from July 1 to 3)… Here are many festivals organized at the moment, or soon, in Morocco and which have moved the tourism sector in Morocco enormously after the easing of restrictive measures linked to Covid-19 a few months ago, to the delight of operators in the sector who have suffered a lot during its last two years.
The organization of its many events and others coincided with the return to the Kingdom of Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) and the influx of foreign tourists wishing to attend its cultural events.
Nevertheless, the tourist operators were not there. Some tourists have criticized the high prices of hotels and tourist services in the country’s known coastal cities (Tangier, Agadir, Essaouira…), noting that professionals “ fixed the prices for foreigners only, without taking into account the purchasing power of Moroccanss”.
An observation denied by an official source within the National Federation of the hotel industry who affirmed that “hotel prices are not uniform, but differ according to their classification“, noting that”the prices are affordable for everyone according to the purchasing power of each individual“.
Said Mahaid, head of the Moroccan Tourism Observatory (OMT), argued that “summer festivals are an essential element for the tourist promotion of the national product, not only in Morocco, but all over the world“.
In a statement toMoroccoLatestNewsthe manager said that “festivals cannot be linked to tourism alone, but are an integral part of the country’s cultural capital, as they reflect a positive image of national cultural development“.
Thus, this actor in the tourism sector explained that “festivals certainly help to increase the tourist flow in cities and towns at the national level, as they help to increase tourism income on the one hand, and provide alternative entertainment venues for visitors on the other hand“.
After two years of stagnation due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism sector in Morocco has gradually begun to recover. Until the end of March 2022, tourism receipts had increased by 80% compared to the same period last year.
According to data presented recently by Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy, during an oral question session in the House of Representatives, tourist receipts in foreign currency are increased from 5.4 billion dirhams to 9.7 billion dirhams.
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