Travel
Tourism: Out of the terror trap – but how?
As in Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt, the tourists stay in Morocco as a result of terror. Although the last attack in the North African country, is already five years, the number of guests declining.
Morocco advertises with sun, beach and sea. Morocco is advertising with more traditional Gnawa music, with its cultural Tradition. Morocco also advertises with nature and impressive landscapes. The country has a lot to offer. But in its tourism areas, the fear is that fewer and fewer guests come to grow. Morocco is looking for a new strategy to attract tourists again.
Residential castle of Tamnougalt in the Draa valley in Agdz
Fear keeps the guests
Mathilde Richard has built up in the Southeast of Morocco in a palm grove of the Drâa valley, a beautiful Hotel for environmentally-friendly tourism. In a beautiful, but structurally weak Region. Here, the travel business is slow and people fear that it could take back the damage: “The people here are afraid that the Europeans are afraid. In doing so, I would say: In Morocco, it is safer than in France.”
In terms of the number of terrorist attacks is wrong. And yet, less and less French people come to Morocco. The grants also tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad. “Since July 2014, the Islamic state, with the events in France, in Tunisia, in Algeria, we see a certain decline in our most important markets. And the most important market for us in France.” Of course, the Minister says Haddad: “Morocco is a safe country.” And nevertheless: In the past year, fewer visitors came for the first time to the Kingdom. Only one per cent less, but the Trend is disturbing.
UNESCO world heritage site Kasbah of “ait benhaddou” Ouarzazate
Target of 20 million visitors achieved in the first half
Morocco wanted to attract annually until 2020 20 million visitors. So far, there are just 10 million. Tourism should offer up to the end of the decade, approximately one Million jobs. So far, there are half a Million Jobs.
Big plans came to a Halt: Six huge hotel complexes on the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coast were planned, total investment of 9 billion euros. Foreign investors were initially curious, jumped, but then one after the other. To a few tourists came to many of the difficulties were not overcome.
No one seems to know how the Gordian knot of perceived uncertainty and investor reluctance can be beat. The spokesperson for the National tourism office says: “by 2020, 20 million tourists come. Unfortunately, it is in the global context, with terrorism, is normal that there is a decline.”
Minister Haddad seeking his salvation in the search for new markets. China, South Asia and Africa: “We see that some 300,000 West Africans per year to Morocco. From Brazil visited us for about 100,000 people. And about 200,000 Russians came. These are important markets in the emerging countries, because we want to diversify.”
Rock arch at Legzira on the Atlantic ocean
But this will hardly be enough to let the high-flying plans of the government for the Moroccan tourism sector is rapidly become a reality. Now, it was only given once a study is in order, reports in the Moroccan media. To check where exactly the ambitious plans for the Moroccan tourism hook. And how you may be “adapted” might be.
Jens Borchers (Germany Radio)