About 200 professionals demonstrated in the Ministry of Tourism in Rabat, to demand support measures in the face of the collapse of the sector since the beginning of the pandemic of Covid-19.
Le Monde with AFP
Threatened by bankruptcy because of the closing of the borders, Moroccan tour operators called to “save” tourism, a vital sector of the Kingdom’s economy, almost at a stop following the recovery of the pandemic of COVID-19.
Tuesday, January 4 in Rabat, about 200 professionals representing travel agencies have shown in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism to require support measures to their activities and a reopening of borders, found AFP journalists. Patterns as tour operators’ employees also claimed the opening of a dialogue with the authorities in the face of “the dramatic collapse” of the sector since the beginning of the pandemic. “Have pity on the economy and the people”, could we read on a sign.
All passenger flights from Morocco have been suspended since 29 November and at least 31 January due to the outbreak of Omicron Variant. “The last closing of the borders is a fatal blow. Other competing countries have benefited, such as Turkey, Egypt or the Emirates”, is sorry with AFP Raja Ould Hamada, owner of a travel agency in Marrakech. “We did not receive any support or material or moral. We ask the ministry officials to listen to us and to hear our difficulties,” she pletes, worried about “destabilization and loss of credibility of the sector with international airlines and foreign investors “.
” What does the government do? “
“Everyone knows that the situation is catastrophic! The question is: what does the government do?”, Redeem with AFP Lahcen Zelmat, President of the National Federation of the Hotel Industry. This one asks “the postponement of bank credits and the management of the interest by the State, and above all that we are allowed to work by reopening the borders”, he detains. Faced with criticism, the Minister of Tourism, Fatima-Zahra Ammor, is committed to urgently applying a vast support plan. A monthly help of 2,000 dirhams (about 190 euros) was promised to employees in the sector for the last quarter of 2021.
As a result of the restrictions, the losses of the tourism sector were evaluated at “at least 1 billion dirhams” for the end-of-year holiday season, according to an operator cited last month by the site of Economic Information MediaS24. The authorities justify these drastic measures “to preserve the achievements of Morocco in the fight against the pandemic”.