Young Moroccans Launch Projects to Promote Tourism in Dakhla, Western Sahara
(AWP) - In an attempt to revitalise tourism and overcome the repercussions of the recent earthquake that caused widespread damage across the country, a group of young Moroccans in the city of Dakhla in Western Sahara have launched various projects that combine tourism with culture.
Sahraoui Village is one of these projects, consists of large tents set up on the outskirts of the city that simulate the traditional lifestyle in the desert.
Project owner Dahi el-Khattat says, "Sahraoui Village is a new type of recent project in the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region, because the well-known tourist product in the region is water sports. Recently, we have had parallel projects which focus on culture and heritage."
Founded in 2019, the project provides tourists with an opportunity to live and experience desert customs and traditions, as well as the most famous local dishes and drinks.
Bi Moor, a Senegalese worker at the project, says, "Here we welcome visitors and organise traditional evenings. We offer traditional dishes such as rice with fish, rice with meat, Saharan tea ceremonies, desert singing evenings, Saharan clothing, and we also organise external tours as well as welcoming guests to stay."
Visitors who frequent Sahraoui Village say that it is a space that adheres to desert traditions while offering them the opportunity for respite from busy daily routines and the hustle and bustle of large, crowded cities.
Sahraoui Village visitor, Ezzahra Haidah, says, "These projects are a breath of fresh air that breaks the routine of home and respects our desert traditions. We find comfort in them, including the traditional tents. This is one of the largest projects in the region and is characterised by spacious and well-equipped tents, and it has all services such as water, tea, and a gathering place. It is a project and a place that provides a change to the atmosphere of the city, work, and daily routine."
Figures show that tourism contributes around 7% of Morocco’s GDP.
The country is seeking to overcome the effects of the earthquake that struck the centre of the country just over a month ago, killing thousands of people and causing losses estimated at 10 billion U.S. dollars.