A Comprehensive Approach to Marrakech's Development
Under the banner that unites the love for Marrakech with the demand for change, Lahcen Zalmate is spearheading his campaign in the Medina-Sidi Youssef Ben Ali constituency, leveraging a long and concrete career in the tourism sector. This professional experience is not merely a campaign talking point; rather, it serves as the foundation for a vision that he aspires to implement within the electoral program of the Union Socialist Forces of the Popular (USFP). This program is centered around equitable development, job creation, investment support, and the alleviation of social and territorial disparities.
Zalmate represents a candidate profile distinguished by its humility and pragmatism. He understands that a parliamentary candidacy transcends mere electoral presence or promises made at the ballot box; it requires a commitment to a clear vision, an ability to listen and assess, and a capacity for advocacy that can translate the residents' expectations into tangible proposals for the legislative institution. His background in tourism, coupled with constant engagement with economic and professional stakeholders in the sector, equips him with a grounded understanding of Marrakech's challenges. He does not view this knowledge as a personal privilege but as a responsibility to bridge the gap between the city and state institutions. According to Zalmate, Marrakech requires a representative who is not only familiar with the city but also understands the legislative process necessary to transform its demands into effective advocacy. He recognizes that voter trust is not a blank check but rather a responsibility that calls for presence, action, and accountability.
Tourism Beyond Hospitality: A Broader Economic Ecosystem
Zalmate's electoral project is built around a fundamental belief: while tourism is a primary driver of Marrakech's development, it extends far beyond hotels and lodging establishments. He envisions it as a vast economic ecosystem that includes restaurants, commerce, transportation, crafts, and services, with ripple effects that reach into agriculture and food industries. Thus, developing tourism, in Zalmate's view, means broadening economic activity and generating employment for a significant portion of the population.
His project emphasizes the vital importance of enhancing Marrakech's air connectivity and attracting new airlines. He argues that any increase in flights and travelers positively impacts all facets of the local economy—from hotels to restaurants, taxis, commerce, and crafts—thereby creating additional job and income opportunities. Zalmate also advocates for restoring Marrakech's status as a destination for conferences, meetings, and international events, lamenting the city's declining share in such activities at the expense of other metropolises, despite possessing the necessary infrastructure and advantages to host more national and international events.
In terms of investment, the candidate differentiates between real estate investment and tourism investment that generates sustainable jobs. He criticizes what he perceives as advantages given to real estate while local tourism investments, particularly for project holders and guesthouses, face hurdles related to permits and procedures. Consequently, he calls for the facilitation of tourism investment and empowering local actors to develop their projects, along with a firm commitment to supporting small businesses, which he views as essential components of the local economy. He argues for a review of the regulations impeding their establishment and growth from within the parliamentary framework.
Employment is a central pillar of this economic approach. For Zalmate, tourism is not an isolated sector; it is a system capable of generating both direct and indirect employment across numerous trades. Strengthening the capacity for tourism accommodation, revitalizing investment, and expanding air service are all integral elements of a unified vision that places employment at the heart of local development.
In addressing Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, the project emphasizes an integrated approach to the social and territorial issues of the neighborhood, particularly focusing on housing, resettlement, youth, services, and mobility. Zalmate believes that some resettlement projects have failed to resolve the full range of challenges faced by families, asserting that merely providing housing is insufficient without accompanying measures that ensure the social and economic stability of residents. Youth issues are pivotal in this discourse, highlighting the need to connect the future of the neighborhood's youth with opportunities for training, employment, and economic integration, leveraging the potential of tourism, services, and small businesses rather than addressing unemployment with temporary measures.
Regarding transport and urban mobility, Zalmate identifies challenges that affect both residents' daily lives and the city's economic activity. He calls for a participatory approach that involves elected officials, authorities, local governments, associations, and relevant stakeholders to seek solutions tailored to Marrakech's evolving needs.
The institutional advocacy highlighted in Zalmate's project emphasizes the importance of bringing to Parliament the issues identified on the ground by the candidate and local stakeholders, addressing them through legislation, parliamentary questions, proposed laws, or oversight of government actions. He believes that many problems related to investment, business, housing, and local development cannot be resolved solely at the local level but require a reevaluation of certain rules and policies at the national scale.
Moreover, he stresses the importance of involving residents and local actors in crafting solutions, especially for socially and territorially oriented issues. According to this perspective, challenges related to housing, resettlement, or development should not be addressed through unilateral decisions but rather by convening all concerned parties and listening to residents in search of applicable solutions.
This vision is bolstered by Zalmate's professional background, which he claims is an asset for political action. His experience in the tourism sector and collaboration with industry professionals provide him with direct insights into the city's challenges and its economic needs, which drives his desire to translate this professional assessment into political and institutional advocacy, particularly concerning issues that require legal or public policy evolution.
Through his candidacy in the Medina-Sidi Youssef Ben Ali constituency, Lahcen Zalmate aims to harmonize economic development with social progress, intertwining tourism, investment, businesses, and employment on one side and housing, youth, transport, and community participation on the other. His fundamental belief remains that Marrakech's substantial advantages should translate into direct benefits for its residents, and that parliamentary work should become an instrument for advocacy capable of elevating these concerns from disparate local issues to matters addressed at the core of the legislative institution.
As reported by libe.ma.
