On the front lines since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, travel agents must face an unexpected and unknown situation: border closures, travel delay requests and repatriation, lockdown…
From the town of Taroudant, in the heart of the Souss valley, Luc Tromme, director of the local travel agency Hors Circuit, member of the Nomadays network, shares with us a rather positive and hopeful account of his professional daily life and the current situation in Morocco during the coronavirus.
"We are worried but nevertheless optimistic
and more than ever ready for action"
"In Morocco, we're used to it! There was the collapse of the World Trade Center, the Icelandic ash cloud, the Arab Springs, insecurity in Europe combined with resentment towards Muslim emigrants, ISIS attacks, the murder of two young Swedish women, each time damaging Morocco's tourism industry more or less significantly depending on the case. Yet after phosphates, it's tourism that sustains the country. In terms of employment, it's also crucial.
But Covid-19 is a different matter entirely. Tourism has come to a complete halt. All establishments are closed, as in many other countries. And there's no doubt that the more or less severe and prolonged recession that will follow the current health crisis will bring many service providers to their knees and put a large part of the population in difficulty. At the same time, the fairly forceful decisions taken quickly by the State allow for the deferral of credit and rent, as well as unemployed workers benefiting from a monthly allowance allowing at least to eat.
Our agency was supposed to participate for the first time in several travel shows in Paris this month of March, marking another milestone for our marketing and visibility. It was a matter of two weeks difference! Really bad luck and a serious financial and moral blow.
But the Hors Circuit agency is materially and psychologically ready to endure a period — even a long one — of inactivity and absence of income. These extended forced vacations are even almost welcome! An unexpected opportunity to pursue all the marketing initiatives that have been on hold, to finalize the development of new itineraries and to prepare for the post-virus period.
We have also decided to continue our social media communication because even if travel plans are no longer really topical, isn't our role ultimately to inspire dreams, in addition to selling them? And don't we have — more than ever — a dire need to dream right now ?".
