| Morocco's National Tourism Office, Another Institution in Need of Rebirth |
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| ZAK ETTAMYMY | ||||||||||||||||||
 I wrote many articles pertaining to the economy, tourism and real estate sectors in Morocco and I also made not too popular claims that, somehow, I see Morocco to have great potentials if we settle the euphoria of free market and the open pricing policy copied from the west. The Moroccan economy is too fragile to sustain the rocketing and diving nature of today’s world economies, I praised in my article (Morocco got it right!) the good results the government of Morocco achieved, although I am a big critic of its pitfalls, I find myself and reluctantly having to withdraw this cheerful support of the government because, although I am thankful that Morocco avoided the worst in the financial collapse and the Moroccan banks seem to do just fine, I still think that the government has failed in many aspects “economically speaking”We may not have good politicians but we definitely have good economists; Moroccan souks are world famous for the exhausting and haggling sales habits of our artisans. This is the nature of any culture that finds itself in the crossroad of markets and sources. Morocco has now a multifaceted economy, Agriculture, mining and light industries however we should not forget Tourism and Moroccans living abroad, two major components of the Moroccan output, even more important than the banking sector. Morocco may have a good year in agriculture or may even find petrol or natural gas but if we do not pay attention to the Moroccan living abroad and the tourism sectors, the rest is nothing but a skeleton without real life. Morocco is more expensive than people believe, according to Orion Trek Voyages.
Jane Folliott, a specialist in Morocco and commercial director at the agency, said that the country is becoming more expensive because of its increasing popularity.
"In the last couple of years it's built up a little bit over very trendy destinations, particularly places like Marrakech," she explained.
"There has been a huge marketing push to get everybody there, but also the effect is that prices are going up because it's become a popular destination."…
If L’office de Tourisme wants to get on with new technologies, strategies and effective methods to promote markets and sell Morocco as a new, exciting and intriguing destination, they have to deal with the Moroccans living abroad, why? First: they represent almost ½ of the total touristsSecond: they live in the targeted market, they know the westerners’ habits and likes and don’t likes Third: they can be the best investors in this sector If L’office de Tourisme starts using business minded methods the Moroccans living aboard will come to the rescue, if it prefers the bureaucracy and keeps behaving like a consulate or an embassy, it will be isolated. Note: l’office de Tourisme in New York organizes occasionally events to “promote” tourism in Morocco, never the Moroccans living abroad “the REAL promoters of the Moroccan culture get invited; I guess it is hard to get rid of the old habits but let it be known that we tried to help. Author: Zak Ettamymy, born in Casablanca Morocco, graduated from American University, Columbia and NYU. writes articles pertaining to Morocco in terms of politics, economy and sports; with a specialty in the Sahara issue. Zak Ettamymy is a member of the Transatlantic Institute for Policy and Progress a non profit organization that promotes Moroccan interests in the US. Zak Ettamymy has published a book called: Morocco Beyond the Legend.
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Comments (8)
moroccan patriot
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Tourism is bad for Morocco Tourism is bad for Morocco. When you create an economy based on tourism, you stifle creativity and you forget that the most powerful economies are based on exporting products and idea's. This years dramatic drop in tourism will be a short term disaster but a long term boon. It will force the ministries of education, finance and technology to facilitate the growth of independent thinking coupled with good old fashioned work ethic. When you sit around waiting for tourists, you remain a third world nation waiting for first world tourists to throw you some crumbs... when you can no longer depend on tourism, you start to fix what is wrong. We can all thank Royal Air Maroc for the disaster the tourism industry will experience this summer. However, all the credit does not belong to RAM; Hotels, Resteraunts and shop keeps who have no concept of customer service, and doing the right thing should also accept a great deal of the credit. I for one see the real estate market dropping by about 30% by the end of the year thanks to the gross incompetence of a number of ministries coupled with the poor work ethic, lack of morals and general disorganization exhibited by the economy at large. It is clear that Morocco has many things to be proud of, and I for one admire how far we have come, but sometimes, economic disaster creates a more favorable atmosphere for future growth. Morocco will not more forward until the top officers at the ministry of education stop sending all of their children to study outside of Morocco. Morocco will not more forward until the ministry of health stops having their family members flown outside of the country for even the most basic procedures. Morocco will not more forward until the literacy rate for women breaks the 40% mark. Morocco will not move forward until people walking into a walmart, Costco or PC Richards see made in Morocco on their favorite products. Morocco will not more forward until the best and brightest stop leaving its shores in the hopes of finding justice, a fair wage and political end economic opportunity. I welcome the coming disaster that will hit the moroccan tourism industry this summer, because it will force us to address other much more serious issues that adversely affect long term sustained growth. |
Morroccan citizen in washingt
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... I could not agree more with you. During the 34 years that I've been living in Washington DC I could not help notice that la RAM does care about you and me, they are very happy with all the other africans that use la Ram to travel to most Sub Saharien Countries and pay the extra $$$ for the excess luggage, if you talk to one of them, you feel that we are more an inconvenience than a paying customers deservant of some basic respect and good service. |
Zak Ettamymy
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an article worth every word..please read I stumbled upon this article : by Tom Pfeifer from Rueters Mixed blessings for Marrakesh Tourists are drawn to the old medina's narrow streets where mules and scooters jostle just metres from the trickling fountains of shaded traditional riad courtyard homes. But veiled women sit begging near marble-clad riad hotels that cost up to 3,000 dirhams ($418) a night. Security guards are posted at the doors of new shopping malls. more.... Aging European men can be seen socializing with young Moroccan women in the city's nightclubs, stirring suspicions that sex tourism is growing. Europeans complain of being hassled to buy gifts -- without realizing competition is fierce. One purchase could feed a shopkeeper's family for days. even more... "Some foreign residents took maids and security guards but did not pay them proper wages, just giving them old clothes and a few coins," said Younes Bensliman Local activists say poverty and the breakdown of family ties leave many young people vulnerable to exploitation: newspapers have written of street orphans lured with gifts to houses where they were abused and filmed by foreigners. I have no problems with reaching the 10 million mark but we have to do it in smart way, with decency and pride, things l office de tourisme has ignored. the 10 milion mark is not the problem, a sustainable, well thought tourism policy is what is needed, Spain gets 50 million tourists a year selling Moroccan History that we built for 800 years they do it year after year intelligently. ONMT is obsolete: this is my honest assessment. |
un marocain de NYC
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... ils veulent pas de nous, ce bureau de tourisme marocain MR Zak, il n est pas la pour nous, ils sont venue pour avoir plus d americains, nous tu rigole ON A LA PESTE! pour ces petits merdeux. merci d avoir mentioner qu\'on representent 50% des touristes. voila en francais, comme ca ils comprennent: ALLEZ VOUS EN, FERMEZ CE BUREAU, ON PEUX ENVOYER PLUS DE TOURISTS AMERICAINS QUE VOUS. |
hmimarmad
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... Here is la RAM web site: http://www.royalairmaroc.com/Marchand/Us/Home.jsp You can only book online a flight from New York, if you reside in Colorado, Utah, California for instance, you are out luck. Not all Moroccan reside in New York, Time for La Ram to be privatized, The old lions are still holding on, until we get our act together, best to sell. Full Blown incompetence! |
hmimarmad
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... Let me make it simple for those who are not familiar with this office. Here is their web site: http://www.visitmorocco.com/index.php/fre Other than the nice pictures. I challenge you to find something useful in their site that can be useful for you as a Moroccan Living Abroad. Who do you blame for all this fiasco? I am not finding anything to cheer about. Miss management in every corner of the country. It is simply amazing how prevalent is incompetence. You may say, you are complaining, do something about it. What can I do when you have to be connected from head to toe to secure a position where you can clean up the mess. I have seen people who have gone back (thinking for good) to help their country and themselves, I have seen them back in no time. I would love to be like Le matin du Sahara and tell you that we are doing very good and we are about to catch up to Spain or France. Sorry I am not delusional! Good Day |
A.Bendaoud
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tourism in Morocco! In order for Morocco to become a real player in tourism ,the minister of tourism has to completely disappear along with les "offices de tourism" abroad.We have to stop "Arnackech" or rob tourists and give them what they pay for. Spots in Cnn,BBc, Tv5 ,Aljazeera will be far less costly and will do wonders or our tourism .We could easily have more than 20 million tourists if we treat them descently ,that is of course another show. |
Hmimarmad
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... When you praised Morocco in your previous article, I thought that you live in dreamland. I was there last summer as usual and things are getting worse and much more expensive, you brought up la RAM. I have never used any other airline but la RAM but I will assure you that I will never use la RAM. I am not going to blame the flight attendant or the custom agent who chose to search you depending on how you look or how you dress, the custom agent who thought my son's toy that he unearthed from the suitcase can be dangerous for the rest of the passengers. ( I swear I am not kidding). I will use other airlines because they treat you like a human being not like some "stuck up immigrant". I am not going to blame the airport police who asked me to go to his window and when I did, he blamed me for disrupting his intention to go to lunch and I swear I am not kidding. I am not going to blame the pilot who left the airport 2 and 1/2 hour late which causes me to miss my connection flight and was forced to spend the night in New York with small children. I am just going to use the services of air france, klm, iberia airlines, alitalia and others. Most Moroccans think that they have to endure this hell even though they put their heart and soul to pay for the tickets. They do not have to. They should boycott la RAM, La RAM will get the message, they'll get their act together and we will go back to la RAM. As simple as that. For as long as we think that la RAM is the by default airline, they will never be any change, the change that we all hope to see one day before we die. Wouldn't be nice to die in your homeland knowing that you witnessed the change? I guess la RAM would not want that because they rather see you die overseas because they will make money when your corps get shipped to the Moroccan cemetery. Good Day! |
