Moroccans in earthquake-hit tourist area lament losses, worry over future

OUIRGANE VALLEY, Morocco - The Kasbah La Dame Bija guest house in Morocco’s picturesque Ouirgane Valley escaped unscathed from an earthquake that devastated the area, but the owner’s bookings collapsed, and he worries about whether the region can revive its tourist appeal.

“The earthquake killed people and destroyed villages on which our tourism activity depends,” said Mr Abderrahim Bouchbouk, owner of the nine-room guest house once run by his grandfather.

Coping with the human tragedy of the Sept 8 tremor that killed more than 2,900 people is everyone’s immediate concern.

But for a region that relied on tourists trekking along stunning valleys and mountain passes, buying local handicrafts or visiting now-devastated sites, the economic future looks bleak.

“No tourists, no job, no income,” said Mr Mohamed Aznag, a waiter in a cafe in the shattered village of Tasa Ouirgane, who lost his daughter in the earthquake and now fears for his livelihood that supports the rest of his family.

He spoke as he observed the ruins of Dar Izergane guest house, which collapsed in the quake, close to the damaged and now-empty cafe where he works.

Villages, many dominated by homes and buildings made of mud brick, crumbled into mounds of dirt when the 6.8-magnitude quake struck, burying those inside and destroying businesses in a region that depended on the tourist trail.

Tourism offered vital extra earnings for many, with few other work opportunities outside tilling the land on smallholdings.

“That was a way for many local farmers to make additional revenue,” said Mr Bouchbouk, whose Kasbah La Dame guest house employs 14 people.

Mr Ahmed Bassim, a tourist guide in the Ouirgane area who has been forced to live in a tent for shelter since the earthquake, said the region was in desperate need of reconstruction.

“But I hope tourists would still visit in solidarity with us,” he said.

The region, one of Morocco’s poorest, lies close to Marrakech, a popular tourist destination with luxurious hotels, fancy shopping centres and a historic souk.

Many hope that plans for a gathering of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, scheduled for Oct 9-15 in Marrakech, would not be disrupted by the earthquake.

Mr Lahcen Zelmat, head of the Morocco’s tourism industry federation, said the long-planned event would be a chance for Morocco to promote the Marrakech destination again after the earthquake.
REUTERS