Dakhla tourism achieves ‘satisfactory’ results despite pandemic, says tourism ministry

Moroccan southern coastal city Dakhla has been able to achieve “significantly satisfactory” tourism results in 2021, amid the national sector’s COVID-19 induced crisis, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Despite the negative repercussions of the pandemic on the tourism sector in the country, the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region has experienced positive dynamics in recent years. The number of arrivals to tourist establishments has quadrupled between 2011 and 2019.

The ministry noted a significant increase in European tourists, which exceeded 50%, in addition to a rise in the quality of tourism investments of over 46%, mainly concerning 4-star hotels.

Fatima Zahra Amour, Minister of Tourism, Handicraft, Social and Solidarity Economy, explained, in response to a written question for the Progress and Socialism team, that despite the continued constraints associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dakhla Valley region was able to resume its touristic activities and achieve great results.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the number of overnight stays in registered hotels increased from 44,000 in September 2020 to nearly 90,000 during the same period in 2021.

This makes up an approximate 101%, as the Dakhla Airport received 5926 tourists during the first nine months of 2021, compared to 4,207 tourists during the same period in 2020.

The ministry stated that the Moroccan Tourism Office and the Regional Council of Tourism in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region signed an action plan for the 2021 fiscal year, to highlight the capabilities and qualifications of the region, and to promote the identity of the coastal city.

A new action plan is being finalized, according to the ministry, which will place the region on the forefront of the national tourism strategy, for both international and domestic tourists.

The Ministry of Tourism has also pledged to intensify its efforts to overcome the repercussions of the border closure due to the new Omicron variant, to enable all regions to recover.