Geotourism

In Chefchaouen countryside area.

Done by Akajia Mounir

Geotourism in Chefchaouen
6/20/2012 countryside. 2

Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical
character of a place—its
environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-
being of its residents.


According to geotourism charter signed by
different states, geotourism tempt to be an all-
inclusive concept ,that’s to say, geotourism include
ecotourism and sustainable tourism too.

Geotourism is not a niche, it is about
everything that goes into making a place
distinctive, unique and integral.


As we all know tourism is like fire, it’s the way it’s done that
determines wether it’s good or harmful to the place where it occurs.

Geotourism tends to limit the negative effects of the three
overlapping tourism styles by bringing the notion of « land use » :
Anticipate development pressures and apply techniques to prevent
undesired overdevelopment and degradation. Contain resort and
vacation-home sprawl, especially on coasts and islands, so as to retain
a diversity of natural and scenic environments and ensure continued
resident access to waterfronts. Locate high-impact, selfcontained
tourism attractions, such as large-scale theme parks and convention
facilities unrelated to character of place, in needier locations with no
significant ecological, scenic, or cultural assets.

To become a geotourism destination a region
must adopt a geotourism strategy by involving
local government, civic organizations, private
businesses, as well as external organizations.
To become a geotourism destination four
parallel types of activity are required:
defining, sustaining, developing, and marketing
your geotourism assets.


This activity requires the discovering of all the
touristic potentials of the given region that may be
interesting as far as geotourists are conserned .


This activity requires the best conservation
and land use before geotourists arrive on site, once
damage is done, it’s hard to reset it. To do so
manageable numbers of tourists must be taken
into consediration.


This activity requires a minimum
development of the given area, this latter must be
equipped by the necessary components that
geotourists may be in need of to stay overnight.


This activity requires the creation of different
communication means in order to attract potential
geotourists around the world.


As we all know, Morocco has not signed the
National Geographic geotourism charter yet,
hence Chefchaouen region doesn’t receive any
geotourists yet. However this area has a lot of
potentials that may play a role in the success of a
geotourism strategy, namely its natural and
cultural potentials and of course the success of
rural tourism program in this part of our country.


Chaouen is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the
chief town of the province of the same name.
Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif mountains
about 50 km from the Mediterranean sea about
100km from the nearest airport (tangier)


Chefchaouen or Chaouen, as it is often called by
Moroccans. The name derives from the Berber
word for horns ―Ichawen‖ whitch refers to the
shape of the mountain tops above the
town, that look like the two horns (chaoua) of a
goat.


The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress
which still exists to this day, by Moorish exiles
from Spain led by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached
El Alami to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern
Morocco.It was known as one of the main concentrations
of Moriscos and Jews who sought refuge in this
mountainous city after the Spanish reconquista in
medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen
to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spanish troops
imprisoned Abd el-Krim in the kasbah from 1916 to
1917, after he talked with the German consul Dr. Walter
Zechlin (1879–1962). (After defeating him with the help
of the French force Abd el-Krim was deported
to Réunion in 1926). Spain returned the city after the
independence of Morocco in 1956.

The economy of Chefchaouen is based on:
-Agriculture
-Tourism
-handcraft
-Basic businesses


Chefchaouen city is the linkage between the
urban life style and the rural one. This city is the
western direct access to the well known
Talassemtane national park.
This National Park is a key tourist attraction
in the Chefchaouen PAT ―tourism destination
area‖—or pays d’acceuil touristique . The park is
home to protected fir trees that stretch over 64,000
hectares.

Chefchaouen city offers one of the most preserved
Moroccan life styles, it’s Djebala way of living,
housing and speaking.
The local residents speak one of the distinguished
moroccan arab dialects.
The local culture in Chaouen is totally different
compared to any other region in Morocco. Local
residents have their own way of wearing and
cooking .

 Crafts.
 Local architecture.
 Traditional Costumes.
 Intangible Heritage.


Chefchaouen tourism destination area
« PAT » has a lot of natural potentials, especially
those present on Talassemtane national park.
Natural potentials are presented in the following
slides by categories and sorts.


 Creation
Date: October 8, 2004.
 Objective: To protect
the tree stands in
Morocco (Abies maro-
cana).
 Area 64,000 ha.

Location

In Talassemtane national park, flora biodeversity
counts thousands of specimens.
 More than 1150 species listed in the park are from
more than 100 families.
 56 species from 20 families are considred to be
Moroccan endemic ones.
 25 species from 20 families are described
as very rare.
 59 species from 24 families are described as rare.


Xeranthemum Saponaria
Abies marocana officinalis
cylindraecum


Talassemtane national park counts hundereds of
faunistic species, they are as follows:

 180 species of aquatic macroinvertebrates.
 33 species of reptiles and amphibians.
 104 species of birds.
 35 species of mammals.


Barbary Macac golden jackal Ichneumon Mongoose

Gloved cat Lutra lutra Mouse-eared notched


Bec croisé des sapins Pic de l’eveillant Hibou moyen duc

Le grand-duc ascalaphe Aigle de bonelli Le faucon crécerellette


Salamandra algira
Seps à écailles nombreuses Seps rifain

Rénette méridionale Lézard ocellé Eumècés d’algérie


Athripsode cinereus Epeorus sylvicola
Esolus parallellipipedus

Microsema SP Onychogomphus forcipatus Libellule fantôme


Ancylus fluviatilis

Limnée voyageuse

Piscidium casertanum

Melanopsis praemorsa


Festivals: Museums:
 Alegria Festival.  Ethnographic Museum.
 PNTS Eco Museum.


 the Ministry of Tourism should design and
help implement a regional geotourism
strategy. Moreover they have to help develop
the concept of geotourism destination areas, or
pays d’acceuil geotouristiques (PAGs).
 State institutions at Chefchaouen region must
foster partnerships and strategic alliances at the
regional, and local levels to promote an
integrated approach to geotourism
development and investments in tourism
infrastructure.

 Several geotourism itineraries must be
devloped and published within Talassemtane
national park and Chefchaouen city.
 GPS maps for the whole PAG ― pays d’acceuill
geotouristique‖ should be devloped and
enough local residents of Chefchaouen should
be trained in mapping techniques.
 All itineraries, along with operational details
should be published in a Group Tour Planner.


 A periodic geotourism marketing strategy should be
developed in collaboration with public and private sector
actors.
 An overall geotourism brand and a distinct identity for
Chefchaouen PAG must be created.
 Leaflets for this PAG in French, English, and Spanish have
to be published.
 French-language mountain tourism in Chefchaouen area
guides should be translated into English and Spanish.
 promotional literature has to be produced.
 A regional Web portal on geotourism should be designed.
 A database of many international and Moroccan tour
operators has to be created.
 Familiarization trips for international tour operators must be
organized.

 Ministry of Tourism capacity to track geotourism flows
through surveys of international visitors to Morocco must
be built.
 Workshops on geotourism planning for public and private
sector stakeholders in chefchaouen area should be
organized.
 Workshops on visitor site development and tourist
information for regional tourism planners, environmental
protection officers, and local development agents must be
organized.
 National workshop on financing opportunities for
geotourism development for microfinance professionals
should be held.
 A comprehensive manual on design, management, and
operation of rural accommodations has to be created.


 Women’s cooperatives must be helped to diversify
their products, improve marketing, and establish
an interpretative center.
 Heritage sites must be restored.
 Roadside pull-offs and a visitor center must be
upgraded.
 Scenic trails, along with car parking and rest areas
have to be refurbished.
 An awareness-building campaign on responsible
tourism, geotourism and environmental protection
of mountain areas should be launched.


We really believe that Geotourism will be the
basis for a beneficial and fully rewarding type of
tourism for Chefchaouen area’s local residents.
However these latters should comprehend that
geotourism concept will be the lone tourism form
capable to protect and preserve their local
culture, their environment and their moral values
too.

Geotourism

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