Moroccan tour guides demand implementation of long-stalled reform law

Morocco’s National Union of Tour Guides has renewed calls for the immediate enactment of regulatory texts tied to Law 67.21, which amended Law 05.12 governing the profession. 

The union is urging the government to stop delaying implementation and to uphold the right of guides, particularly those working in natural sites, to change categories after years of service or in cases of documented health issues.

In a memorandum submitted to Hespress, the union also condemned ongoing field harassment faced by nature guides when crossing urban zones, calling for fair professional representation within the National Federation of Tour Guides to ensure all groups can defend their interests equally.

The union emphasized that the dignity and fair representation of guides are not mere organizational luxuries, but essential to the success of any equitable national tourism strategy. It described the marginalization of nature guides as a credibility issue for Morocco’s tourism image both domestically and abroad.

As tourism trends shift toward integrated experiences that blend urban and natural sites, the union argued that legal inconsistencies are increasingly harming nature guides, who face restrictions in cities unlike their urban counterparts who move freely in rural areas.

Although Law 67.21, passed in 2021, explicitly granted the right to shift categories, its enforcement has stalled due to the absence of implementing regulations. This delay, the union said, renders the law effectively meaningless and perpetuates field-level injustices.

Union Secretary-General Amina Aït Ibrahim noted the lack of progress despite repeated appeals through parliamentarians, lawyers, and official correspondence. She warned that the imbalance in representation within the federation, where urban guides form more than two-thirds of the membership, has led to systemic dismissal of rural guide demands.

Aït Ibrahim called for a new governance approach based on decentralization and inclusion. She stressed that no meaningful tourism development can be achieved without listening to those who accompany visitors through Morocco’s mountains and natural landscapes.