ACADEMIA Letters Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco) Mohamed Sadiki The tourism sector in Morocco is of great importance, given the vital role it plays in the revival of the national economy and the opening of horizons to the traditional industry to promote its products. Morocco is one of the countries that have given the tourism sector great importance in achieving economic growth. This is reflected in the strategic vision of tourism development, in which it aspires to be among the top twenty tourist destinations in the world. Tourism is a new bet that is interested in the various development initiatives underway, especially for oasis areas with a long cultural heritage rooted in sub-Saharan Africa. This activity is of great importance in the oases of Tafilalet, because of its natural, historical and heritage potential. It has distinct tourist scenes, which makes it a destination for tourists and visitors from around the world. This wealth can pose pioneering development pillars that would qualify these areas to gain territorial competitiveness and strengthen regional integration and integration with the rest of the national areas. This is dependent, on the one hand, on preparing comprehensive plans based on a social and cultural assessment according to economic and developmental measures, and on the other hand, on changing the methodology and classic approaches that have long been in the field of tourism. In order to elevate tourism to the rank of the main wealth generating sectors and to build an attractive tourism sector, a new strategic approach to tourism is needed, aiming at promoting the dynamic tourism product and integrating it into the global tourism market, in accordance with the conditions of sustainable tourism development, adopting a set of axes that will form the overall framework. Sustainable, including: Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 1 Diversifying and improving tourism products The region is considered a tourist area with distinction, as it contains sufficient qualifications for the success of the tourist activity. It is evident from the official state trends that tourism will remain among the main options for the development of oases in the future. Therefore, we ask the question of the developmental and environmental dimensions of these trends. The development and diversification of the tourism offer and its growth requires diversifying the product by enriching the offer with additional types of tourism activities, which are of interest to the following areas: • Desert Tourism: Desert tourism is one of the most important types of tourism that is growing in recent years. It is known to be a growing number of tourists and enthusiasts who are looking for geographical and historical areas different from those they know. The oases of Tafilalet are among the regions that offer a diversified offer in the desert tourism product. The region is distinguished by its natural features, as high sand dunes intermingle with high oases, and the desert is intertwined with greenery. Therefore, talking about the prospects of Saharan tourism and the future of this type of tourism in the oases is a fundamental pillar for the advancement of the region and the strengthening of its role in the national economy as a leading tourist pole in southeast Morocco. • Cultural Tourism: the civilizations and societies that have succeeded each other in the region from prehistoric times to the present day have left clear and varied footprints and a historical and cultural heritage that can be exploited in tourism. To qualify cultural tourism, the intervention must be vertical; focusing on the heritage, cultural and civilizational characteristics that characterize the region, so that it can provide an integrated cultural product in accordance with international standards and developments, through which it is possible to advance and develop the production of cultural tourism. From there, to achieve the objective of developing the tourism sector. The consultation and coordination between the culture and tourism sector is the main entry point for the preparation of programs and action plans to make the oasis a tourist and cultural destination. • Ecotourism: Tafilalet Oasis includes rare natural sites and unique ecological resources that contribute to the process of tourist attraction. As long as it has a strong historical, natural and cultural symbolism, in line with global competition, it can develop a new type of ecotourism that draws its importance from itself and the nature of its practice. This will only be achieved by enhancing the environmental credentials as a destination Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 2 for tourism, ecology, and upgrading the region from a site of environmental and biological importance to a national reserve and working towards its preparation in accordance with Morocco’s 2020 tourism vision. • Health Tourism: There are very few places where a tourist can get physical therapy. The Tafilalet oasis offers excellent therapeutic resources, starting with the mineral-rich hot waters (Hamat Moulay Hashem, Hamat Moulay Ali Al-Sharif), passing through Ain Al-Atti, and ending with the sands of Merzouga as a leading tourist attraction in its Region. The latter is intended for tourists from all over the world, due to the benefits of its hot sand on sick bodies, and due to the low cost of treatment, which is an additional advantage that makes the region a therapeutic tourist destination. Therefore, the development of this type of tourism remains an urgent necessity, given its economic impact on the field and on society. Improving services and promoting the tourism education system This can be achieved by the following means: • A comprehensive review of the current situation of the tourism sector, in order to come up with results that would improve the tourism sector (tourism product, tourism promotion, legal aspect, human resources); • Creating a kind of balance in the distribution of tourism services and facilities in all the tourist sites of the Oasis, encouraging investments in the tourism sector and providing employment opportunities in various tourism fields; • Opening professional degrees in tourism at the Interdisciplinary College of Rashidiya and Ouarzazate, with the aim of providing specialized professionals; • Supporting efforts to preserve a clean environment, by intensifying campaigns to protect the environment and tourist resorts, and by improving tourist guide signs; • Develop human resources, rehabilitate the training system and restructure the centers affiliated with the tourism commission. Reconstruction of the tourist destination, the oases of Tafilalat The strategy for the development of the tourism sector aims to support the tourist destination of the oases, strengthening its position and seeking new value-added markets. This plan is Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 3 based on the following elements: • Establishing partnerships with well-known companies known as tours and developing marketing and promotion programs; • nvolve civil society organizations interested in tourism in the process of promoting the tourism offer in the Oasis of Tafilalet, and educate the population about tourism actions and its positive impact, in order to develop a real tourism culture; • To promote the activist, entertaining and promotional aspects, as well as the organization of events and meetings of a tourist nature; • To emphasize the use of modern communication media, especially the Internet, as a means of advertising and to determine the tourist destination; • Developing air connectivity through the construction of an airport in Marzouga, modernizing the Moulay Ali Cherif airport in Rashidiya and linking it to international destinations, as the tourist activity depends closely on communication and transportation due to the fact that distance and time affect the movement of this activity • Encouraging domestic tourism by supporting travel agencies and providing attractive and encouraging offers; • Supporting the financing of tourism projects and stimulating investments by reducing interest rates on loans for tourism. Activation of the tourist routes project Tourist routes are long and narrow linear routes in most cases, specifying for the tourist the area of travel between certain tourist areas or points, and these routes are either land, air, sea or river. The secondary and unsealed roads can be more pleasant than the main roads, because they allow to discover the natural, historical and cultural qualities of a region, and along it there is a range of shelters, restaurants and reception services. It is a field of circulation for tourists whose importance is related to the quality and diversity of the attractions, as well as the reception structures available. This perception is considered a sophisticated conception of marketing the product of cultural tourism according to a new approach and standards that seek to present this product in a new format, through which we can extend the tourist’s stay in the region. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 4 The achievement of this goal is the desired objective of the strategy for the development of tourism in the region, as the trails increase the level of spending along the route, encourage domestic tourism and allow the practice of new types of tourism. In addition to stabilizing the local population, creating new employment opportunities, increasing income and developing infrastructure. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 5 

ACADEMIA Letters Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco) Mohamed Sadiki The tourism sector in Morocco is of great importance, given the vital role it plays in the revival of the national economy and the opening of horizons to the traditional industry to promote its products. Morocco is one of the countries that have given the tourism sector great importance in achieving economic growth. This is reflected in the strategic vision of tourism development, in which it aspires to be among the top twenty tourist destinations in the world. Tourism is a new bet that is interested in the various development initiatives underway, especially for oasis areas with a long cultural heritage rooted in sub-Saharan Africa. This activity is of great importance in the oases of Tafilalet, because of its natural, historical and heritage potential. It has distinct tourist scenes, which makes it a destination for tourists and visitors from around the world. This wealth can pose pioneering development pillars that would qualify these areas to gain territorial competitiveness and strengthen regional integration and integration with the rest of the national areas. This is dependent, on the one hand, on preparing comprehensive plans based on a social and cultural assessment according to economic and developmental measures, and on the other hand, on changing the methodology and classic approaches that have long been in the field of tourism. In order to elevate tourism to the rank of the main wealth generating sectors and to build an attractive tourism sector, a new strategic approach to tourism is needed, aiming at promoting the dynamic tourism product and integrating it into the global tourism market, in accordance with the conditions of sustainable tourism development, adopting a set of axes that will form the overall framework. Sustainable, including: Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 1 Diversifying and improving tourism products The region is considered a tourist area with distinction, as it contains sufficient qualifications for the success of the tourist activity. It is evident from the official state trends that tourism will remain among the main options for the development of oases in the future. Therefore, we ask the question of the developmental and environmental dimensions of these trends. The development and diversification of the tourism offer and its growth requires diversifying the product by enriching the offer with additional types of tourism activities, which are of interest to the following areas: • Desert Tourism: Desert tourism is one of the most important types of tourism that is growing in recent years. It is known to be a growing number of tourists and enthusiasts who are looking for geographical and historical areas different from those they know. The oases of Tafilalet are among the regions that offer a diversified offer in the desert tourism product. The region is distinguished by its natural features, as high sand dunes intermingle with high oases, and the desert is intertwined with greenery. Therefore, talking about the prospects of Saharan tourism and the future of this type of tourism in the oases is a fundamental pillar for the advancement of the region and the strengthening of its role in the national economy as a leading tourist pole in southeast Morocco. • Cultural Tourism: the civilizations and societies that have succeeded each other in the region from prehistoric times to the present day have left clear and varied footprints and a historical and cultural heritage that can be exploited in tourism. To qualify cultural tourism, the intervention must be vertical; focusing on the heritage, cultural and civilizational characteristics that characterize the region, so that it can provide an integrated cultural product in accordance with international standards and developments, through which it is possible to advance and develop the production of cultural tourism. From there, to achieve the objective of developing the tourism sector. The consultation and coordination between the culture and tourism sector is the main entry point for the preparation of programs and action plans to make the oasis a tourist and cultural destination. • Ecotourism: Tafilalet Oasis includes rare natural sites and unique ecological resources that contribute to the process of tourist attraction. As long as it has a strong historical, natural and cultural symbolism, in line with global competition, it can develop a new type of ecotourism that draws its importance from itself and the nature of its practice. This will only be achieved by enhancing the environmental credentials as a destination Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 2 for tourism, ecology, and upgrading the region from a site of environmental and biological importance to a national reserve and working towards its preparation in accordance with Morocco’s 2020 tourism vision. • Health Tourism: There are very few places where a tourist can get physical therapy. The Tafilalet oasis offers excellent therapeutic resources, starting with the mineral-rich hot waters (Hamat Moulay Hashem, Hamat Moulay Ali Al-Sharif), passing through Ain Al-Atti, and ending with the sands of Merzouga as a leading tourist attraction in its Region. The latter is intended for tourists from all over the world, due to the benefits of its hot sand on sick bodies, and due to the low cost of treatment, which is an additional advantage that makes the region a therapeutic tourist destination. Therefore, the development of this type of tourism remains an urgent necessity, given its economic impact on the field and on society. Improving services and promoting the tourism education system This can be achieved by the following means: • A comprehensive review of the current situation of the tourism sector, in order to come up with results that would improve the tourism sector (tourism product, tourism promotion, legal aspect, human resources); • Creating a kind of balance in the distribution of tourism services and facilities in all the tourist sites of the Oasis, encouraging investments in the tourism sector and providing employment opportunities in various tourism fields; • Opening professional degrees in tourism at the Interdisciplinary College of Rashidiya and Ouarzazate, with the aim of providing specialized professionals; • Supporting efforts to preserve a clean environment, by intensifying campaigns to protect the environment and tourist resorts, and by improving tourist guide signs; • Develop human resources, rehabilitate the training system and restructure the centers affiliated with the tourism commission. Reconstruction of the tourist destination, the oases of Tafilalat The strategy for the development of the tourism sector aims to support the tourist destination of the oases, strengthening its position and seeking new value-added markets. This plan is Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 3 based on the following elements: • Establishing partnerships with well-known companies known as tours and developing marketing and promotion programs; • nvolve civil society organizations interested in tourism in the process of promoting the tourism offer in the Oasis of Tafilalet, and educate the population about tourism actions and its positive impact, in order to develop a real tourism culture; • To promote the activist, entertaining and promotional aspects, as well as the organization of events and meetings of a tourist nature; • To emphasize the use of modern communication media, especially the Internet, as a means of advertising and to determine the tourist destination; • Developing air connectivity through the construction of an airport in Marzouga, modernizing the Moulay Ali Cherif airport in Rashidiya and linking it to international destinations, as the tourist activity depends closely on communication and transportation due to the fact that distance and time affect the movement of this activity • Encouraging domestic tourism by supporting travel agencies and providing attractive and encouraging offers; • Supporting the financing of tourism projects and stimulating investments by reducing interest rates on loans for tourism. Activation of the tourist routes project Tourist routes are long and narrow linear routes in most cases, specifying for the tourist the area of travel between certain tourist areas or points, and these routes are either land, air, sea or river. The secondary and unsealed roads can be more pleasant than the main roads, because they allow to discover the natural, historical and cultural qualities of a region, and along it there is a range of shelters, restaurants and reception services. It is a field of circulation for tourists whose importance is related to the quality and diversity of the attractions, as well as the reception structures available. This perception is considered a sophisticated conception of marketing the product of cultural tourism according to a new approach and standards that seek to present this product in a new format, through which we can extend the tourist’s stay in the region. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 4 The achievement of this goal is the desired objective of the strategy for the development of tourism in the region, as the trails increase the level of spending along the route, encourage domestic tourism and allow the practice of new types of tourism. In addition to stabilizing the local population, creating new employment opportunities, increasing income and developing infrastructure. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Mohamed Sadiki, mohamed.sadiki@outlook.com Citation: Sadiki, M. (2021). Tourism: A key bet for a real sustainable development in the Tafilalet oases (Morocco). Academia Letters, Article 1423. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1423. 5