LDo Moroccans have the necessary resources to afford a vacation this summer? This year again, the question arises acutely. Because yes, even if inflation has returned to low rates in recent months, mainly driven by the easing of external pressures and the fall in the prices of volatile food products, price levels remain high. And this is particularly felt by low-income households. In addition, the summer period occurs just after an Eid Al-Adha that is most painful for citizens’ wallets, and just before the start of the school year which will certainly not fail to strain the family budget.
In this regard, Ouadie Madih, president of the National Federation of Consumer Associations (FNAC), tells us that Moroccan households are bearing the brunt of the repercussions of this crisis which has persisted since 2020. And to emphasize that the situation of consumers is not hardly improves. “We observed that a large part of Moroccan consumers were unable to buy sheep for Eid Al-Adha, which is regrettable. Although public authorities have not released official figures, the data we obtained regarding the tonnage of waste collected shows a clear decrease compared to the previous year. This clearly indicates that the number of Moroccans celebrating Eid has significantly decreased this year,” he reveals.
“Added to this are many other expenses such as school fees and those related to health, expenses for the month of Ramadan, etc., all without any increase in salary. The situation is gloomy and this year promises to be difficult,” continues our interlocutor. On the other hand, when it comes to summer vacations, Ouadie Madih believes that despite a difficult economic situation, Moroccan consumers manage in most cases to find solutions to enjoy summer vacations. “Some will probably turn to credit, a double-edged solution, while others will prefer to find other means to finance their vacation,” he specifies. In the same vein, the president of FNAC notes that the Moroccan consumer will certainly feel increased pressure to be able to afford summer vacations this year and that in return, the national economy will suffer the repercussions.
“Consumer spending is crucial for economic growth, but the absence of concrete measures to support purchasing power will result in a major blow for many sectors,” he notes. With this same perspective, Ouadie Madih recalls that after the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous communication campaigns were launched, with the aim of calling on citizens to support internal tourism, but that in return, nothing was made so that prices were affordable for Moroccan customers.
“The rates offered, particularly by hotels, remain too high for Moroccans. Decision-makers lack long-term vision and it is important to have an anticipatory approach to help consumers manage their finances,” he insists. Ouadie Madih also draws attention to the fact that many Moroccans prefer to spend their vacations abroad rather than staying in Morocco, because when comparing expenses, they realize that it costs them less. A problem which, according to our interlocutor, must be taken seriously by government authorities. It should be noted that over the first 5 months of 2024, the Consumer Price Index relating to the “Restaurants and hotels” category stood at 115.8 compared to 111.9 during the same period of 2023 , an increase of 3.5%.
To enable Moroccan consumers to enjoy their summer holidays during this period of crisis, Ouadie Madih recommends drawing inspiration from initiatives taken by other countries. This includes granting citizens holiday vouchers, a payment method that can be used to finance expenses related to holidays or cultural and leisure activities. The president of FNAC also mentions the deployment of promotional offers specially dedicated to Moroccan customers.
