The Ministry of Tourism launched on Wednesday a new digital platform aimed at providing financial support to classified tourist accommodation facilities affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
The platform, launched as part of the overall reconstruction and rehabilitation program for areas impacted by the Atlas earthquake, allows eligible establishments to submit financial support requests.
The ministry has reported that so far 667 classified tourist accommodation establishments have been assessed for damages by technical experts.
The evaluation process is set to determine the extent of the damages and develop rehabilitation plans. The process has also been instrumental in identifying the support required.
The financial assistance from the ministry varies based on the severity of the impact.
Establishments significantly affected by the earthquake may receive support of up to MAD two million, while those with minor damages could receive up to MAD 500,000.
The ministry said that this financial aid aims to enable affected establishments to carry out rehabilitation work promptly.
Fatima Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, said that half of the support amount will be disbursed upon receiving complete application files. The remaining half will be provided upon completion of the rehabilitation work.
Ammor said that the ministry has swiftly implemented the initiative, ensuring that tourist accommodation facilities can quickly benefit from the current recovery in the country’s tourism sector.
The ministry also announced the launch of over 150 projects to create additional employment opportunities and accelerate social and economic development in the region.
Local and regional tourism bodies praised the central initiative, considering the Ministry of Tourism as one of the government sectors at the forefront of addressing the repercussions of the Atlas earthquake.
However, Marouane Shwiwekh, President of the Regional Tourism Council in the Haouz region, told MoroccoLatestNews that this step is positive but criticized the platform for being directed exclusively at classified tourist accommodation establishments.
Shwiwekh further added that there is a need for solutions to classify rural tourism establishments and urged efforts to uplift their standards to benefit from public support.
The same source commented on the allocated support amount, stating that the set ceiling of MAD 2 million for completely affected tourist accommodation establishments is minimal, especially given the high costs of transporting construction materials to the affected mountainous areas.
Shwiwekh underscored the significance of digitizing tourism services. He noted the efforts of the Regional Tourism Council in digitizing the tourist experience by creating a digital portal for reservations and marketing including both classified and unclassified establishments.