During the monthly oral question session directed to the Prime Minister, Member of Parliament Fatima Yassine, representing the Liberal Movement party, delivered sharp criticisms of the government, particularly targeting the tourism sector, which, according to her, is suffering from structural issues despite Morocco’s vast potential.
In her speech, Yassine questioned the significant presence of government members during the session, speculating whether it signified political relief or was merely a show of strength. She added that, despite the opposition’s differences with the government, they had hoped for its success, as this would be beneficial for the country. However, the current results, in various areas, have been disappointing, even though the government promotes itself under the slogan “Government of Competence.”
Yassine specifically addressed the tourism sector, criticizing the lack of a comprehensive vision for its development. She argued that failures cannot be justified by external factors like drought or climatic conditions, particularly as Morocco has tremendous potential to become a global tourism destination. She also highlighted the issue of excessive taxes imposed on the tourism sector, where businesses are subjected to 17 different taxes, an unreasonably high number.
The MP further discussed the challenges facing some tourist regions, pointing out the disparities in flight availability, with areas like Azrou suffering from limited flights and high prices, which negatively impact tourist flow, particularly from the Moroccan diaspora.
Regarding tourism transport, Yassine emphasized the ongoing disorder in this area and the lack of governmental support to improve and develop the tourism fleet. She also criticized the fact that workers in the desert tourism sector, such as camel owners, did not receive any support during the COVID-19 crisis and are still struggling with rising feed costs without any governmental intervention.
Additionally, Yassine addressed the issues facing travel agencies due to the infiltration of intermediaries and brokers, which undermines fair competition within the sector. She also denounced the continued isolation of some tourist regions, such as the Drâa-Tafilalet region, due to the lack of essential infrastructure projects like the Tichka Tunnel.
Concluding her remarks, Yassine stressed that tourism is a key pillar for national development and foreign currency generation. She called for effective promotional campaigns, like the “Visit Morocco” initiative, and urged the government to take immediate measures to support struggling tourism businesses, prevent mass layoffs due to accumulated debts, and invest in the improvement of air and sea transport to ensure the sector’s sustainability.
source: fesnews media