Rabat – Morocco’s National Federation of Tourism (FNT) has renewed concerns regarding the government’s perceived lack of responsiveness to the demands of tourism professionals amid the ongoing COVID-induced plight of Morocco’s hospitality industry.
The federation’s secretary general Mohamed Benmansour said that professionals in the sector have been staging sit-in in several cities since February 1 to urge authorities to save the tourism sector from the COVID-induced crisis.
While acknowledging efforts by the Ministry of Tourism to tackle some of the social and economic repercussions of the pandemic, the federation is mainly complaining about the lack of sufficient responsiveness from the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.
Benmansour told Moroccan television channel 2M that there is a “lack of interaction” with the ministry’s suggestions, citing “failure to shoulder responsibility towards thousands of families threatened with homelessness.”
For the federation, the prevailing “lack of interaction” between tourism representatives and the government contrasts with the government’s electoral promise of adopting a social approach to pay closer attention to citizens’ demands.
With the government having ignored their cry for help, tourist professionals are now calling for “urgent decisions” to mitigate the crisis, notably exempting tourism vehicles from paying tax. The federation argued that vehicles in the sector suffered stagnation and did not make any revenues since the beginning of 2020.
The federation is also seeking solutions to “inconsistent insurance prices amid reduction in the number of passengers, and bearing social expenses of workers.”
Morocco re-closed its air borders on November 29 for nearly three months before reopening them again on February 7.
The closure of air borders and the suspension of flights cost tourism professionals arms and legs, particularly during the winter season when holidaymakers traditionally plan trips to Morocco for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
To mitigate the crisis, Morocco is now launching campaigns to revive its tourism sector.
Recently, the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) launched “Aji” (come) and “We are Open” campaigns to attract tourists.
ONMT delegations also visited several countries, including France, Spain, the UK, to meet with tourism authorities and airline representatives following the reopening of Morocco’s airspace.
