TAF PUBLISHING

Tourism is facing one of the biggest crises of all time due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis faced by territories in general and tourist destinations, in particular, requires in-depth studies and special interest from researchers and policymakers. For this reason, this study aims to determine the challenges faced by tourism actors in the ancient Medina of Marrakech during the COVID-19 health crisis. To do so, we adopted a quantitativequalitative method that allowed us to explore the field better. We used semi-structured interviews with decisionmakers in the tourism sector at the national, regional, and central levels and a two-phase questionnaire sent to tourism operators in the Medina of Marrakech. The first phase was conducted remotely during the lockdown, and the second in February 2022. The analysis of the responses shows significant losses of income and employment. Thus, the main reactivation strategies adopted by tourism professionals. The analysis also shows that the management of the health crisis was characterized by centralization and monopolization of power at the central level and that there was no change in the roles of the traditional state. The said management of the crisis is, above all, part of top-down governance limited to particular protagonists, both at the national and local levels, which represents a challenge for territorial governance, given that local realities are hardly the same at the national or territorial level.