The thermal station of Moulay Yacoub will undergo a real rejuvenation cure during the coming years to meet international standards, before passing into the fold of the famous French brand Compagnie de Vichy. The Thermo-Medical Society of Moulay Yacoub (Sothermy), a subsidiary of the CDG Développement holding, has signed a partnership agreement with Vichy Spa International, a subsidiary of the Compagnie de Vichy, a French reference group in terms of thermalism and well-being, providing for a significant investment of 400 million DH for the development of all the thermal installations, both traditional and modern, of the station. The thermal baths will then be conceded in delegated management to Vichy. In an interview with the MAP, the General Manager of Sothermy, Mohammed Karim Jennane, explained that the first phase of the project, costing 60 MDH, concerns the construction of new buildings for traditional baths alongside the modern thermal baths. "It is a financing that is almost finalized and which is taken care of entirely by Sothermy", he explains. The construction on an area of 2,700 m2 of a new traditional thermal establishment according to the best standards of accessibility, safety, and hygiene must begin during this summer to finish a year later with the ambition of bringing these baths up to international standards. As soon as the operation of this new building starts, scheduled for July 2014, the current premises of the traditional thermal baths will be destroyed and a hammam of 2,200 m2 will be erected in their place "in a social gesture towards the populations of Moulay Yacoub", he says. The second phase of the upgrading project (2015-2017), which is the most important both in terms of cost and consistency, focuses on the renovation of the new thermal station, to bring it up to Vichy standards, and the construction of a 4-star hotel with more than 100 rooms. This hotel adjacent to the thermal baths will be built under the "Thermalia by Vichy" brand, thus allowing its international marketing. The newly renovated thermal baths should offer a wider range of services in relation to thermal medicine and fitness. Once the projects are finalized, they will be conceded to Vichy in delegated management, informs Mr. Jennane. By virtue of this partnership agreement, Vichy will assist Sothermy in the functional design of the renovation projects for the Moulay Yacoub thermal baths, the specification of performance objectives, and the choice of products and equipment that will best meet the needs of thermalism professionals. This development project aims to make Moulay Yacoub a thermal station with international standards and allow it to play the role of an essential component of the tourist offer of the Fès Boulemane region, explains the DG of Sothermy. Currently, the Moulay Yacoub thermal baths welcome one million visitors per year, a figure that could be boosted by the commissioning of the new modern equipment planned as part of this renovation plan and the passage of the thermal baths under Vichy. To explain the importance of this plan for the populations of Moulay Yacoub, Sothermy officials held several meetings with the authorities of the Fès wilaya, tourism professionals, and elected officials. The emphasis was placed in particular on the need to upgrade the village of Moulay Yacoub through, in particular, the construction of a controlled landfill and a modern parking lot and, above all, the dualization of the road between Fès and the thermal station. It is essentially a matter of taking advantage of the partnership with this great world reference in the field of thermalism and well-being, which is Vichy, to improve the daily life of the populations of this village and boost the tourism sector.