Tourism professionals in Morocco believe tourism in the county will slow this summer. Tourism experts say there will probably be a substantial fall in tourism activities because of the global economic crisis, lower purchasing power of Moroccan expatriates, the flu pandemic, and the start of Ramadan at the end of August. Between 1 January and 31 May the number of tourists visiting Morocco increased 10% to 2,751,000 visitors but the number of overnight stays fell 3% compared to the same period last year.
Morale is low in the tourism industry with most forecasting reduced numbers. Manager of a hotel in Marrakesh explained “In addition to the tail off in our business over some months, the summer period on which we’ve really been counting looks like it might not put us back on course.”
