Domestic Tourism in Morocco bounces back, pins hope on steady vaccination

Morocco’s attractive cities that saw their lifelines wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be rebounding on a short-term outlook, with tourism officials pinning hope on a steady vaccination turnout to fill in touristic attractions.

‘This revival is not only aimed for the season but it is a long-term game, and everyone must play their part in,” Rokia Allaoui, president of the regional council of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region told Hespress Eng.

She said Tangier, in particular, is reawakening with tourists from across Morocco choosing to vacation in the city’s many beaches and attractions.

“We are very happy to see tourism in Tangier recovering,” Allaoui said.

But the upswing also comes amid concerns that the Delta variant of COVID-19, which is already leading to stricter restrictions across the country, will challenge the country’s ability to safely retain steady tourism.

Vaccination is key, says Allaoui. “All tourism workers are taking measures to ensure the holidays pass safely for the visitors.”

“The majority of our hotel workers are vaccinated on a regular basis to ensure clients’ trust and return,” she added.

Farther down South, Moroccans who might have once sought to buy cheap flights to Europe’s picturesque destinations are finding what they’re looking for much closer at home.

Ouarzzazate’s Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou with its archaeological and cinematic attractions is such a destination.

Standing at the gates of the Moroccan desert, Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is dubbed the ‘Mecca of cinema’ with many cult movies and series, such as Game of Thrones and The Mummy shot in its labyrinth alleys.

Abderrahmane Halbaba, a tour guide operating in the region said “The economic situation has witnessed a great recovery in the recent period,” hopeful that tourism, which offers jobs and a route out of poverty for the local population will keep running through 2021.

“Domestic tourism, in particular, is more dominant and promising than foreign tourism,” Halbaba said.

Domestic tourism should have technically been crimped by travel restrictions in between cities, as Moroccans are unable to travel between cities unless they present vaccination passes

But a steady vaccination campaign is proving detrimental for rebounding tourism. The country has been on a roll since January to vaccinate its 36 million population. 10,283,660 have already received both vaccine jabs.