Sustainable tourism in Morocco

Tourism is a key socio-economic sector in Morocco, which generates over 16 % of total employment in the country. For a long time, tourism has been focused on the coastline and in imperial cities. The national tourism strategy "Vision 2020" promotes a responsible tourism and recognizes that all regions should benefit from tourism. The project will promote the development of a sustainable rural tourism in a poor region which offers unique tourist attractions around nature, paleontology and Berber culture, thus aligning with the government strategy.

This project aims at realising the tourism potential of the provinces of Azilal and Béni Mellal to create long term-employment opportunities in particular for women and young people while minimising social and environmental negative effects, thus contributing to reduce migration pressure. This phase will focus on addressing the major obstacles to the development of a sustainable tourism: obsolete and inadequate accommodations, neglected tourist sites, lack of qualified people in tourism and absence of a coordinated approach among public and private actors for the development of a sustainable tourism. An integrated approach will ensure that all actors of the tourism value chain benefit from the project, including handicraft or local products cooperatives whose products can be placed on tourist routes. The global standards for sustainable tourism developed by the Global Sustainable Council for Tourism (GSTC) will guide all interventions, especially those related to environment.

1. Framework conditions conducive to the development of sustainable tourism

Coordination among public and private actors

Promotion of tourist attractions following sustainability criteria

2. Enhanced competitiveness and market access

Improved accommodation infrastructure and hosts services following sustainability criteria

Strengthened capacities of cooperatives in sectors relevant to tourism

3. Development of tourism skills

New hospitality, tourism and guide trainings available

Principaux résultats attendus:  

Platform bringing together key actors involved in the development of tourism

Tourist routes and roadmap for enhancement work on natural and cultural sites following sustainability criteria

Upgrade of the accommodation infrastructure taking into account sustainability criteria

Authentic experiences offered by hosts to discover the natural and cultural heritage of the region

Capacity building of handicraft and local products cooperatives, in particular women cooperatives

Trainings on the principles of sustainable tourism and the global standards GSTC

Support in setting-up a new training center