13/03/2026
Why does the south-east remain on the sidelines of a genuine tourism boom, despite its wealth of exceptional natural, historical and cultural assets?
The south-east is not merely a geographical periphery far from the traditional centres of tourist activity, but a fully-fledged cultural region stretching from the oases of Tafilalet to the edge of the desert, and from ancient mud-brick palaces to towering mountain ranges. It was in this region that Sijilmassa flourished, the capital of caravans and a crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes; and it was here that, over the centuries, unique ways of life took shape, adapting to the harshness of nature and creating architectural and environmental systems for the palaces and oases that are today both a human and economic heritage. Yet, this rich heritage has remained hostage to passing fads and sporadic top-down initiatives, which often lack a clear and integrated local vision.
The stalling of tourism development in the region cannot be separated from a critical examination of public policies in this field.
It is true that Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism has launched several strategies in recent years, culminating in the new roadmap for tourism; however, the regional implementation of these visions remains of limited impact in the south-eastern provinces, where imbalances are clearly evident, through the weakness of basic infrastructure—such as roads, pathways and public facilities— the fragility of the transport system and air, road and rail links, alongside the absence of qualified tourist information and guidance centres, and the limited investment incentives directed towards oasis, mountainous and desert areas.
Furthermore, a number of historic mansions are currently at risk of collapse, whilst the oases suffer from the pressures of desertification and a shortage of water resources, in the absence of effective emergency programmes for their protection and enhancement. However, the issue here is not so much the absence of official discourse or strategic visions, as it is linked to the weakness of implementation mechanisms What is required today is not merely to identify the shortcomings, but to develop a clear regional vision for the south-east within the national tourism strategy, based on promoting the region’s environmental and cultural distinctiveness, strengthening coordination among the various stakeholders, and transforming tourism into a genuine driver of sustainable development, capable of generating wealth and job opportunities, and to restore the importance of a sector that has long been excluded from the dynamics of the national tourism boom.
