Morocco‘s tourism minister acknowledged the crucial support from both local citizens and foreigners that helped the country navigate through a recent devastating tragedy.
Morocco has shown resilience after a destructive earthquake in September, with cities like Marrakech and other tourist spots reopening to visitors. The 6.8-magnitude earthquake resulted in around 3,000 casualties nationwide, primarily in the High Atlas Mountains, although Marrakech also felt its impact.
After the tragic event, individuals scheduled to visit Morocco for a holiday faced uncertainty. They grappled with deciding whether to cancel their trip for safety reasons and as a gesture of respect, or to proceed with their plans to offer support to the country in its challenging situation.
Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor of Tourism, Air Transport, Craft & Social Economy highlights the significant support received from both local and international communities following the earthquake in Morocco. This solidarity, including messages of sympathy and assistance from abroad, greatly aided the affected populations.
“We received a lot of sympathy messages, and many individuals or associations from abroad came to help. This solidarity warms the heart in today’s world. It greatly helped the local populations overcome this tragedy,” she said.
Contrary to initial media portrayals, Minister Ammor notes that tourist destinations like Marrakech were not as severely affected as depicted, emphasizing a disparity between the media’s dramatic portrayal and the actual situation on the ground.
“The media didn’t provide a truthful image of what was really happening. They showed much more dramatic images in Marrakech than it actually was.”
(eTN): Solidarity in Tourism: Rebuilding Morocco after Deadly Quake | re-post license | post content
