Fez: New tourist circuits operational

• Objective: promote 2,200 sales outlets of handicrafts
• An initiative of the MCC for 20 million DH of investment

It's official. The six new tourist circuits integrating crafts in the medina of Fez are now operational and have just been inaugurated by Abdessamad Kayouh and Lahcen Haddad, respectively Minister of Handicrafts and Minister of Tourism. Indeed, from an economic point of view, the advantages of these new circuits are countless. This is the creation of jobs and income-generating activities around tourism. The first beneficiaries of the project are the artisans of the medina. The promotion of these circuits will also benefit the hotel industry, restaurants and tourist guides. Focused on handicrafts and culture in the broad sense, these routes would consequently allow an increase in tourist flows to the high places of heritage that constitutes the medina of Fez.

In a statement to L'Economiste, Kayouh stressed that "the objective is to equip the multiple sites with a strong cultural and historical charge of the spiritual capital with appropriate tourist signage". With an investment of 20 million DH (2.5 million dollars), this project was funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). It focused on the implementation of a series of directional, informative and interpretive tourist signage panels in the various locations located along the tourist circuits. Thus, some 308 panels were installed in the medina, including 228 orientation panels, 70 heritage interpretation panels and 10 information panels. Technically, panels are registered with a numeric code that can be decrypted by Smartphones. This technological solution allows the visitor to locate themselves and to have more information about the place they are in, the history of the trades they will discover on their way, as well as that of the city. Located at the entrance of each of the six circuits, these panels draw a route extending over 21 km. 5 of the 6 circuits are located in the intra-mural medina (10.5 km). "These itineraries will contribute to the preservation of the cultural and civilizational identity of the Fez medina and to the promotion of craft activities," notes Kayouh. Crossing some 2,200 points of sale, the new circuits also aim to strengthen commercial capacities and improve the incomes of more than 10,000 single artisans. They operate in the trades of embroidery, Fassi brocade, traditional weaving, woodwork, metalwork and others. The goal is to bring the visitor to the medina closer to the artisan merchant in an explicit framework that traces the history of the trades highlighted. "Which will encourage the tourist to spend more," estimates the minister. According to him, his department has gained considerable experience through the implementation of this project in the cities of Fez and Marrakech. An experience that he will try to carry out in other medinas of the Kingdom, such as Meknes, Taroudant, Essaouira and Tetouan.

For Kayouh, "the aim is to promote the exceptional and rich millennial cultural and historical heritage, material and immaterial reflecting the cultural identity of Morocco". It is important to emphasize, in this sense, that the current trend in international tourism is increasingly oriented towards tourism focused on discovery and meeting with local populations, particularly cultural aspects, such as traditions and customs, know-how, monuments and historical attractions, and all other considerations likely to promote mutual exchange and dialogue between civilizations. Hence the presence of Haddad. For the Minister of Tourism, "crafts as a component of heritage can be considered as a theme of the cultural niche very fashionable at the moment". This is why the creation of tourist circuits comes at the right time to meet this need. It can, therefore, play the role of a lever for the development of a tourist activity based on the cultural environment likely to equitably generate economic benefits on the craft trade. Finally, it should be noted that, on the sidelines of the launch of the new circuits, Kayouh inaugurated the 4th national crafts exhibition, which brings together some 70 artisans from the cities of Fez and Marrakech.

Diversify the offer

Lahcen Haddad firmly believes in the structuring dimension of the new tourist circuits of the Fez medina. These would allow the emergence of sustainable economic activities thanks to a strong partnership between different sectors and by suitably adapting the actions and activities of the project to the needs and expectations identified and felt at the local level. For the Minister of Tourism, the enhancement of the cultural product will make Morocco a tourist and cultural destination par excellence. "It is also a way to diversify the tourist offer," concludes the minister.



Youness SAAD ALAMI.

Leconomiste.com

Published on June 6, 2013.

Posted online on June 13, 2013.