Adapted from the original text written in Arabic and published on Hespress. By Ali Benharar | Hespress | Sunday, September 8, 2024, 17:00.

Tourism stakeholders have weighed in on growing demands in the professional market to enforce price listing in all tourist bazaars, particularly in Morocco’s imperial cities: Fez, Marrakech, Meknes, and Rabat. Despite the potential benefits of this move, such as curbing fraud and scams, experts point out the operational challenges that make this effort difficult to implement.

According to Moroccan Law 08-31, which outlines consumer protection measures, all merchants are required to display the prices of products for sale, especially in Article 2. Advocates of enforcing this rule in bazaars see it as essential. However, tourism professionals interviewed by Hespress emphasized the “sensitivity” of the products sold in these establishments. They acknowledge that while scams are a global issue, enforcing price displays in bazaars might not be a straightforward solution.

Enticing Yet Challenging

Mohamed Baayou, Treasurer of the National Confederation of Tourism, supports the idea of displaying price lists in tourist bazaars, which offer rare and unique products. However, he notes that relying solely on this measure is challenging, as these shops offer a wide variety of products. Implementing the rule is difficult, especially considering that some items have variable costs and time frames to be made available, particularly those sourced from other continents.

Baayou further explained to Hespress that “while displaying prices is feasible, imposing price ceilings is not. Morocco adheres to free-market principles and competition, with a liberal economic policy and international agreements that support market freedom and global trade integration.” He added, “What is sold in bazaars is not food; tourist products have specific characteristics that require exceptional handling.”

He also highlighted the “practical challenges” that hinder price display in such shops, noting that “scams exist worldwide, not just in Morocco.” He pointed out that “tourists ultimately have a choice. If they feel something is wrong or suspect a scam, they can file a complaint with the relevant authorities, who will act accordingly. Measures are already in place. While displaying price lists is an enticing idea, it is difficult to achieve.”

A Matter of Improvement

Zoubeir Bouhout, a tourism expert, stated that listing prices or grouping products sold at the same price in a specific area of the store, along with price tags on large items, is an excellent measure to ensure that tourists make informed and comfortable purchasing decisions. “This solution would make the process purely commercial; even if the price is high, it is clearly stated, making it neither fraud nor a scam.”

Bouhout emphasized that “bazaars are also subject to laws requiring price display,” while echoing Baayou’s concerns about the difficulty of applying this rule in large stores with hundreds of products.

He added that “monitoring plays a role in finding solutions for certain cases that are often discussed in the media. Businesses and institutions promoting these products should also raise awareness among industry players about the importance of displaying prices.”

The tourism expert concluded that scams are challenging to quantify due to their dispersed nature. He noted that “some cases undermine efforts to promote Morocco as a destination, which is why the issue requires serious attention to strengthen monitoring efforts. The matter concerns Morocco’s overall tourism image.” He concluded that “the situation should neither be exaggerated nor downplayed, as the laws regarding price display are clear, and bazaar owners can find possible solutions.”