This meeting, chaired by the Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, was an opportunity to look into the competitiveness of tourism companies, which remains largely dependent on the modernisation and improvement of the tourism product. Emphasis was also placed on upgrading these tourism SMEs so that they are in line with the needs of the global market. This adaptation effort necessarily involves the consolidation of the product, its diversification, and the strengthening of its positioning. The various speakers were unanimous in stressing that quality is a basic factor in the modernisation of the company and in highlighting the importance of SMEs in the economic fabric. Afterwards, the professionals followed the presentation of the two support mechanisms for tourism SMEs, which are "Moussanada Siyaha" and "Renovotel 3", which are intended to accompany companies in their process of upgrading and improving the quality of their services. The result of a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, the National Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (ANPME), the National Tourism Federation (FNT), and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the "Moussanada Siyaha" system is endowed with a budget of 420 million dirhams and aims to accompany, by 2020, more than 600 tourism SMEs in their upgrading and competitiveness improvement processes. The three links in the tourism value chain concerned by this mechanism are tourist accommodation establishments, travel agencies, and road tourist transport companies. The other mechanism is none other than "Renovotel 3", a joint financing fund with banks dedicated to the upgrading of tourist accommodation establishments. Endowed with 500 million dirhams, it is the result of a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, the Central Guarantee Fund (CCG), the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the National Hotel Industry Federation (FNIH), the FNT, and the Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social Development. With a view to providing tourism companies with a local support service, a Support Network will be created with the aim, in particular, of promoting support mechanisms and providing advice and assistance to tourism professionals in the phase of creating their companies or during their operation.
Professionalism of the Tourism Observatory
The Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, chaired the general assembly and the board of directors of the Tourism Observatory, whose main vocation is the observation of the national tourism economy through the development and publication of reliable and relevant information.
Created in 2005, it is also a tool for guidance and promotion of tourism development. During this meeting, the financial reports and the auditors' reports for the 2012 financial year were approved, as well as a resolution on the creation of a joint public/private committee whose mission will be to initiate a reflection on the economic model of the Observatory and the repositioning of this institution within the framework of the 2020 Tourism Vision.
This body, intended to accompany the said Vision, is not only an important tool for collecting data and disseminating information related to the tourism sector, but it is also a mechanism for monitoring, proposing, evaluating tourism activity, and helping with decision-making for both public authorities and the private sector, the minister specified.
