Morocco Implements Mystery Visits to Enhance Tourism Standards
As of May 2026, Morocco is set to initiate a groundbreaking program of mystery visits to assess the quality of service across 2,500 tourist establishments. This significant reform aims to elevate the kingdom's hospitality standards to meet international benchmarks by the year 2030. The approach marks a departure from previous classifications that primarily focused on physical infrastructure and amenities. Under the provisions of law n°80-14, the Ministry of Tourism, Craft, and Social and Solidarity Economy is now committed to evaluating the actual guest experience. Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor emphasized that these mystery visits represent a promise to tourists, ensuring that their experiences align with the expectations set before their arrival. The overarching goal is to enhance Morocco's reputation, striving for an ambitious target of welcoming 26 million travelers by the end of the decade.
The initiative specifically targets establishments with three stars or more, including hotels, riads, tourist residences, and kasbahs. The process for awarding or renewing star ratings will now consist of two phases. Initially, a regional commission will assess compliance with construction standards. Following this, an anonymous auditor—selected through a competitive bidding process—will evaluate every aspect of the customer journey, from the initial booking to check-out, including restaurant service, cleanliness, and entertainment offerings. Each detail will undergo meticulous scrutiny to ensure a consistent quality of service.
A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework to Ensure Quality
To facilitate these evaluations, the Moroccan government has established assessment frameworks that encompass 235 to 387 specific criteria, which have been officially documented. This new regulatory framework also introduces a shift away from permanent entitlements; star ratings will initially be granted for seven years and can be renewed every five years thereafter. Establishments failing to meet the required standards will be given a grace period to comply with the new regulations. This initiative is part of Morocco's ongoing efforts to enhance its tourism sector, which has already seen 4.3 million visitors recorded by the end of March—a 7% increase compared to the previous year.
The Moroccan Tourism Engineering Society is actively engaged in organizing the mystery visits across all tourist establishments, in line with the new law aimed at bolstering the quality and management of these facilities. The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Moroccan Tourism Engineering Society (SMIT), is spearheading the reform of the hotel classification system, ensuring it adheres to law 80-14 and its applicable regulations. This unprecedented operation of mystery visits is a vital step towards maintaining high hospitality standards throughout Morocco's tourism landscape.
As reported by bladi.net.
