OUIRGANE VALLEY, Morocco – The Kasbah La Dame Bija guesthouse in Morocco’s picturesque Ouirgane Valley escaped unscathed from an earthquake that devastated the world, however the proprietor’s bookings collapsed and he worries about whether or not the area can revive its vacationer enchantment.
“The earthquake killed people and destroyed villages on which our tourism activity depends,” mentioned Abderrahim Bouchbouk, proprietor of the nine-room guesthouse that was as soon as run by his grandfather.
Coping with the human tragedy of a Sept. 8 tremor that killed greater than 2,900 folks is everybody’s fast concern, however for a area that relied on vacationers trekking alongside gorgeous valleys and mountain passes, shopping for native handicrafts or visiting now devastated websites, the financial future appears to be like bleak.
“No tourists, no job, no income,” mentioned Mohamed Aznag, a waiter in a café within the shattered village of Tasa Ouirgane who misplaced his daughter within the earthquake and now fears for his livelihood that supported the remainder of his household.
He spoke as he noticed the ruins of Dar Izergane guesthouse, which collapsed within the quake, near the broken and now empty café the place he works.
Whole villages, many dominated by properties and buildings fabricated from mud brick, crumbled into mounds of filth when the 6.8 magnitude quake struck, burying these inside and destroying companies in a area that trusted the vacationer path.
Tourism provided important additional earnings for a lot of, with few different work alternatives exterior tilling the land on smallholdings.
“That was a way for many local farmers to make additional revenue,” mentioned Bouchbouk, whose Kasbah La Dame guesthouse employs 14 folks.
Ahmed Bassim, a vacationer information within the Ouirgane space who has been pressured to reside in a tent for shelter because the earthquake, mentioned the area was in determined want of reconstruction. “But I hope tourists would still visit in solidarity with us,” he mentioned.
The area, certainly one of Morocco’s poorest, lies near Marrakech, a well-liked vacationer vacation spot with luxurious inns, fancy buying facilities and a historic souk.
Many hope plans for a gathering of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, scheduled for Oct. 9-15 in Marrakech, is not going to be disrupted by the earthquake.
Lahcen Zelmat, head of the Morocco’s tourism trade federation, mentioned the long-planned occasion “would be a chance for Morocco to promote Marrakech destination again after the earthquake.” —Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
