While the beginning of the year usually marks a respite in terms of hotel occupancy, the month of January, which precedes the rush of foreign visitors in February, was marked by a rather unprecedented influx of Moroccan tourists, who chose to stay in small hotels, riads or more affordable rentals. Which is not to please hoteliers…
City clubs surfed on domestic tourism
Surprised by this “unusual crowd”, a hotelier tells us that luxury hotels in Marrakech have hosted several large weddings of foreigners (300 to 800 participants per celebration), to which must be added many congresses, which has contributed to a very respectable occupancy rate for a month of low activity.
But it is especially the small establishments that have done well during this month of January, especially during school holidays. A success that can be explained above all by the more affordable rates for families whose budgets have been impacted lately by inflation and declining purchasing power.
In this sense, our hotelier specifies that “it is rather the clubs with ‘All inclusive’ formulassmall establishments of less than 3 stars and apart-hotels, which have experienced a large number of Moroccan tourists, with rates of filling between 50% and 80%“.
“If the Moroccan school holidays (January 20-29) have contributed to the enthusiasm for domestic tourism, it is the first time that nationals have come in such large numbers and contributed to fill many small hotels in a period of low season”, confirms this other hotelier, who hopes that this dynamic will strengthen in the future to erase the effects of the seasonality of tourist activity.
The majority of nationals opt for affordable accommodation
For many classified establishments, such as the Sirayane Boutique Hotel (5 stars), the month of January, which corresponds to a period of low attendance of foreign visitors, is generally devoted to maintenance work while waiting for the school holiday period. Europeans.
These visitors, who are expected for the school holidays (February 15-30), generally opt for hotels rated over 4 starsnotes its director, Mehdi Bennani Smires.
The latter also makes the same observation, namely the choice of national families to stay in clubs and hotels at more affordable prices, or in rentals similar to the AirBnB concept which are tending to multiply.
Undeclared AirBnB formulas, a threat for hoteliers?
Confirming “an unprecedented rush of national tourists during this month of low season”, another hotel manager requesting anonymity regrets, however, that most of them preferred renting apartments to staying in hotels.
This disaffection affects all categories of hotel establishments, which are increasingly suffering from this phenomenon.
“In view of the very many Moroccan holidaymakers crossed in the streets of Marrakech, this gives the impression that all the hotels are full. But this is not the case; most have chosen furnished accommodation on the internet“, laments the manager of a small hotel, who estimates that he has lost at least 50% of his usual turnover because of these formulas.
This trend is likely to take hold, which does not please hoteliers who see it as a unfair competitionthese rentals not always being declared.
Marrakech has a large unsold real estate stock, and more and more owners, according to him, are turning to the tourist rental of new accommodation at unbeatable prices. They are not declared to the tax authorities, reminds our hotelier, regretting in passing that the development of a law on the AirBnB formula late to emerge.
For lack of real control by the authorities, few owners pay a discharge tax between 10% and 15% of the rents, most often collected in cash, without traceability.
Be that as it may, the unprecedented influx of nationals will at least have enabled the many small operators in the city (restaurants, craftsmen, transporters, etc.) to generate income before the high season in February, which promises to be much more lucrative in terms of foreign exchange earnings.