The tourist recovery rate reached 80% at the end of October 2022 in Morocco, exceeding the world level which stands at 70%, said the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim – Zahra Ammor.
The minister, who was answering a question on the tourism promotion strategy, during a session of oral questions held in the House of Councillors, noted that the rate of recovery of tourist receipts in foreign currency has increased, to him, at 103% at the end of September, and this compared to its level of 2019, i.e. before the Covid-19 crisis.
With regard to internal tourism, receipts have increased significantly, she noted, adding that the number of overnight stays, for their part, reached 45% at the end of September against 30% before the crisis.
This good performance of the tourism sector is the result of the good management of the Covid-19 crisis demonstrated by the Kingdom, thus strengthening Morocco’s credibility on an international scale.
They are also the fruit of the support devoted by the State to the sector within the framework of the emergency plan, marketing operations, promotion and guarantee of a number of seats for national tourist destinations as well as the adherence of industry professionals and partners.
In this same context, the minister recalled the mobilization of an envelope of 2 billion dirhams (MMDH) to support the tourism sector, of which 1 billion dirhams is dedicated to the rehabilitation of hotel units, specifying that this initiative “had a positive impact on the sector”.
In addition, Ammor indicated that 40,000 employees in the sector benefited from an extension of the granting of the allowance (2000 DH) during the first three months of the year 2022, stressing that this same number of employees benefited from the deferral of payment of contributions due to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) for a period of 6 months.
With regard to the postponement of bank loan repayments with payment of interest during the work stoppage period, the minister noted that the number of requests reached 821, while the ministry received 1,345 requests in connection with business tax for tourist accommodation establishments.
Ammor said that 737 accommodation establishments have benefited from the support of the ministry in order to reopen their doors to tourists and welcome them in the best conditions with a total of subsidies estimated at 868 million dirhams (MDH).
On the other hand, the Minister affirmed that rural tourism is experiencing an increased demand from both foreign and Moroccan tourists, ensuring, in this sense, that the Kingdom has great potential in this area, in the different regions of Morocco.
And to emphasize in this context that the work of the ministry focuses on two main axes, namely the development of studies and the implementation of programs to enhance the tourist potential of the rural world, via the Moroccan Society of Tourist Engineering, in consultation with the local partners, then the creation of partnerships with the various actors for the realization of these programs.