In Chefchaouen, the drop in attendance of foreign tourists is felt in this winter season. And it is the national visitors who make it possible to maintain the activity, in a destination which still needs to improve the quality of its tourist offer.
In the jargon of tourism professionals, this is called “low season”. In Chefchaouen, this period of “lean cows” of tourist activity is visibly felt. We are a long way from the frenzy and the summer atmosphere of continuous parades of tourists from all over the world.
This Wednesday, January 11, the day of our visit, the cold had chased away the summer heat. Although the sun finally rose in the middle of the day, the alleys of the blue city looked like a barely frequented city. And the observation is obvious, it is more the national visitors who animate this tourist destination in this winter period.
Taking advantage of this day of celebration, on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the declaration of the Manifesto of Independence, the inhabitants of the big cities not far from Chefchaouen, like Tetouan, or Tangier, contribute to maintaining the tourist activity in the blue city. We meet foreign tourists there, but not as many as during the other seasons of the year. Which is quite normal, knowing that the whole of the northern region of Morocco remains a destination that is full of tourists during the summer season, because of its very popular seaside offer.
Three million tourists
Moreover, according to local tourism professionals, one of the main challenges of the sector is to succeed in doing well outside the summer. In 2022, the sector managed to attract nearly 3 million tourists to its various destinations. And Chefchaouen has contributed a lot to this, because it has risen to become an essential destination in the tourist offer of the northern region. A destination which must also improve its offer, or at least make it even more professional, in order to meet the requirements of national and international customers.
Indeed, in Chefchaouen, apart from the shops and restaurants located on the Outa Hammam square, it is clear that almost everywhere else, the low-end offer and the amateur service surprise more than one tourist. This is particularly the case in restaurants located in Ras El Maa, where the quality of the catering does not reflect the potential of the place at all. Many tourists do not fail to express their surprise, even their disappointment, in relation to the quality of the service.
Multi-storey car park
Also many are the guesthouses where improvements are needed, not to mention the need to reinforce the town with parking for visitors. In this regard, the end of the work on the multi-storey car park at the Ras El Maa tourist site is eagerly awaited. Started last February, this project is supposed to respond to the major problem of accessibility in the medina of Chefchaouen.
With a budget of 36 million dirhams, the project involves the construction of a three-storey car park that will eventually offer a parking capacity of 231 spaces as well as optimal, adapted accessibility for tourist vehicles. The project also provides for the development of a commercial space consisting of 28 commercial premises intended for the marketing and promotion of local products, a play area for children as well as a nearby grassy field offering young people from the neighboring districts a pleasant space for sporting activity.
This project is planned as part of the program to upgrade and enhance the tourist site of Ras El Maa, the result of a draft partnership agreement linking the Agency for the Promotion and Development of the North to the province of Chefchaouen and the commune of Chefchaouen.
Abdellah Benahmed / ECO Inspirations