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Outraged by the increase in nuisances within the Medina of Fès, owners of guesthouses and Riads recently held a meeting to examine a situation that can no longer continue and, at the same time, hold authorities and municipal elected officials accountable.
In a speech supported by a document with figures and illustrated with photos, El Mehdi El Abbadi, president of the Regional Association of Guesthouses of Fès, made proposals to sanitise tourism in Fès, beginning his presentation by listing general problems such as security, cleanliness, unapproved party halls, the increase in mechanical transport and motorcycles inside the Medina, the advanced state of disrepair of many taxis operating at the airport, and the proliferation of "clandestine" tourist transport taxis.
Addressing the situation of guesthouses and other types of accommodation in the Medina, Mr. El Abbadi indicated that 80 guesthouses are classified in the 1st and 2nd categories, 50 houses operate under municipal authorisation (without classification by the Ministry of Tourism), 100 houses operate as "furnished houses ready to rent", "homestays", and "Ziyarates Fès", and finally more than 20 "clandestine" houses are still working without authorisation. This finding is the result of efforts by local authorities and elected officials in collaboration with the Association over the last three years.
"This situation," adds Mr. El Mehdi, "confronts us with severe unfair competition, leading to a price war to the detriment of quality, which harms the image of the city."
Regarding nuisances, the subject at the heart of the meeting, Mr. El Abbadi suggested stopping the proliferation of these different types of unclassified accommodation by trying to find a definitive solution for the clandestine houses.
He called for the immediate cessation of granting authorisations for "furnished houses ready to rent", as this type of accommodation was created solely to eradicate the scourge of clandestine houses from which the city of Fès was suffering. Among the other black spots mentioned were the worrying drop in flights departing from and arriving in Fès, the blatant lack of institutional advertising, and the poor management of car parks, which has affected all parking areas in the Medina, notably at R’cif, Oued Zhoun, Ain Azliten, and Sid Al Khayat.
Other topics found a favourable echo among the audience, including many foreign guesthouse owners, who were visibly in agreement with Aziz Lebbar, president of the Fès Regional Tourism Council (CRT), who expressed his dissatisfaction with this situation that has lasted for 20 years.
Nuisances that boil down to insufficient and sometimes non-existent public lighting, and reduced police patrols (which was confirmed by a local investor who vigorously denounced the closure of a passage leading to his Riad on the "orders of the district caidat").
Tourism promoter Driss Faceh then took the floor to deplore the disappearance of Fès from the ONMT's radar, alluding to the absence of the destination in the Office's 2013 budget, whereas in the past, the spiritual capital received the lion's share of promotional campaigns in European countries, just like Marrakech or Agadir.
Mr. Faceh also insisted on two essential points: the completion of projects included in the PDRT signed with the State on 25 November 2005, which would motivate foreign investors to revisit Fès, and the relaunching of the Fès CRT's activities at a promotional level by allowing it to rely on human resources, including the recruitment of a Council director and a marketing department manager. Mr. Faceh insisted on the contribution of local elected officials, namely the town hall, the City Council, and the Regional Council.
In parallel with the proposals of the owners of guesthouses and palaces, the Association of Tourist Guides of Fès, through its president Kabbaj Chakib, mentioned other nuisances, notably begging, fake guides, and street vendors.
At the end of the meeting, several speakers called on professionals to mobilise by carrying out actions in concert with elected officials and authorities and to reconcile in order to overcome the problems that prevent tourism from regaining its former lustre.
Provider / Source : HASSAN ATAICHE, Libération
