Moroccan festivals serve summer shows and strengthen cultural industries

From the Mawazine Festival to the Gnaoua Essaouira Festival and the Timitar Festival, then the summer festivals organized by telecommunications companies and other events, it is evident that the summer season still sees a remarkable dynamism for artistic festivals that are compatible with the holiday period and thus witness a great turnout, especially since cultural festivals in turn find this season suitable for holding knowledge meetings; something that was embodied, for example, in the Thoiza Festival in Tangier.

Many events view these activities as an important and effective element in this summer period to create financial revenues and stimulate tourism, in addition to the role of these artistic and cultural events in “creating a distinctive atmosphere for Moroccan and foreign visitors who visit some major cities and beach areas that are in turn equipped with platforms that enhance this trend in which Morocco has engaged to qualify the cultural industry,” according to observers.

In this context, Mustafa Amalek, Secretary General of the Regional Tourism Council of Marrakech, said that “these cultural events represented by summer festivals are of great importance in preserving an important and vital element within the tourism scene, and thus creating economic vitality and commercial prosperity, which is animation,” noting that “the latter plays a fundamental role in attraction, especially if it concerns a prominent cultural event or a famous international singer.”

In his interview with Hespress, Amalik linked the issue to “his ability to organize programs for a group of families, individuals, groups of friends, colleagues, etc.”, explaining that “some people think about taking their annual vacation during the period when the cultural event is organized, and this is what we see in many testimonies, and this is a point of strength that shows the importance of these cultural festivals that we missed greatly during the time of the pandemic that kept them away for years, and the need for them was clear in relieving people.”

The tourism player did not deny the impact of these summer festivals in driving the development of the cities in which they are held, emphasizing that “the focus should be on specific topics so that each festival can attract fans of the show it presents; because in all cases this will create a cultural perception among the audience who consumes it. Hence, this enhances the prestige of those involved in cultural, artistic and tourism affairs together, as this is the strength of summer festivals, as they revitalize many areas.”

For his part, Jamal Al-Saadi, a researcher and activist in tourism affairs, said, “Cultural and artistic festivals play a major role in creating cultural activation in any city that wants to create a certain form of interaction with its visitors and residents,” adding, “This falls within a well-known strategy, which is that granting influence to any city is done through two basic entrances: material and non-material; and similar events present a facet of the non-material entrance.”

Al-Saadi considered, in his statement to Hespress, that “activation is considered an active party in this process; accordingly, it requires a high level of professionalism, and requires international standards that encourage investors and cooperation with professionals in the sector, so that we have summer artistic and cultural events that break with the constant need for public support.”

He added: “The festivals need to be qualified by making them part of the private sector, to ensure their intensification by the private sector, especially since the state is likely to organize artistic festivals during this period of the year in its turn.”

The tourism operator discussed the infrastructure, which he said is “interestingly available in Morocco; however, it still needs more efforts to establish this compatibility with the conditions available in developed countries,” concluding that Morocco has accumulated significant experience in the field of cultural industry specifically, and our culture, heritage, and what we have, unlike others, in terms of arts and musical genres, has dimensions that inform and radiate about Morocco and Moroccan civilization.”