MOROCCO: Moroccans hope a new maritime line to Canary Islands will boost tourism to southwestern port city of Tarfaya

Record ID: 575237

  • Title: MOROCCO: Moroccans hope a new maritime line to Canary Islands will boost tourism to southwestern port city of Tarfaya
  • Date: 10th April 2008
  • Summary: CARS PARKED IN PORT VEHICLE DRIVING INTO TOWN
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Morocco
  • Country: Morocco
  • Topics: Industry,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA18Y7CT0WLG595EC1PRTKVH4J
  • Story Text: A new ferry line connecting Morocco's southern most port city of Tarfaya with the Spanish Canary Islands could be an economic lifeline for the sun-kissed town on the Atlantic coast.
    The small seaside town of Tarfaya, on the south-western shores of Morocco, is only 80-km (50 miles) away from the Spanish tourist hot spot of Canary Islands. But only recently have the two areas, separated by a narrow sea strait, been linked by a ferry line.
    Residents of Tarfaya hope that the new line, which started to operate in December, along with an ongoing restoration and development project of the Tarfaya port, will attract visitors, merchants and tourists to the sun-drenched town.
    Authorities in Tarfaya say the line will shorten the distances for people travelling between Africa and the Canary Islands. Its route is recognised as the shortest passage between the Spanish-administered Canary Islands and mainland Africa. Passengers from Africa who wished to travel to the Islands in the past had to first travel to Spain, and then on to the islands.
    "For us who live in the Canary Islands, this line is very comfortable and we save a lot of time because we don't need to travel to Cadiz, crossing the whole of Morocco. Thank god, there is a direct line now," Ali Jibar, a Moroccan resident of the Canary Islands who travelled to Tarfaya by a ferry, said.
    The Spanish archipelago is home to between 60,000 to 70,000 Moroccans.
    For them, visiting their homeland has become easier than ever with the new direct line connecting their past and present residences.
    Mohammad Fathi, a Moroccan who disembarked from a ferry bringing passengers from the Islands to the mainland, said the new line would contribute to the relations between the two people.
    "This maritime line is a good point to be added to the Moroccan-Spanish relationship. I hope that other lines serving other ports in north of Morocco could be open because the Moroccans who live in the Canary Islands are from the Sahara and from other parts of the country," Fathi said at Tarfaya port.
    A ferry journey takes between 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on sea and weather conditions. It can carry up to 400 passengers and about 170 vehicles.
    A one-way trip costs 550,000 Moroccan Dirhams (about 73 U.S. dollars).
    The ferry operator Naviera Armas runs the the trip three times a week.
    The company's agent in Tarfaya, Younis Ait Faris, said that local authorities need to put more effort in developing attractions for tourists.
    "Most of the tourists who come to Tarfaya have a purchasing power that is far higher that when the city could offer in entertainment, food and accommodation because there is no infrastructure. This means that this city is just a gateway for them," Faris said in his office.
    A local travel agent, Hida Hanane, said the relatively low cost of the journey will attract more passengers who will help boost the town's economy.
    "The cost for the passengers is low and I hope to see this maritime line helping Tarfaya because this city critically needs infrastructure to boost its economy," Hanane said.
    Many of the 5,000 residents of the town, like Hanane, recall better days in the history of Tarfaya. Also known by it's 16th century name Cabo Juby, Tarfaya was for many decades a popular location. British traders used its port, which they called 'Port Victoria', to import and export their goods in the late 19th century. French pilots used it as a stop-over in their voyages across he Atlantic Ocean. The most notable of them was Antoine de Saint Exupery, the author of 'Le petit prince' (The Small Prince), who wrote his first book, "Southern Mail," in Tarfaya.
    Despite its rich past, residents say the town has been neglected for years.
    "If the port is not developed then Tarfaya will not benefit from this project because it's lacking the necessary infrastructure. What is happening now is that a tourist takes his car and leaves the city without even buying a bottle of water," Jamal Huda, a shop keeper in Tarfaya's main street, said.
    Residents and local authorities bank heavily on the new sea line as a life line for the development of the town.
    "With the help of God, this project will benefit Tarfaya because this city was very poor and this maritime line will give it a boost,"
    said another shop keeper, Tahar Oulahbib.
    Tarfaya port is now undergoing a big overhauling operation. The local authorities embarked on a scheme to enlarge it so that it could accommodate ferries and fishing boats, which provide the area with its main source of income.
    But according to Gustavo Suarez, a ferry captain, the new maritime has already proven beneficial to Tarfaya by creating new jobs for the locals..
    "This line means employment for many people, not only seamen, like taxi. For example here in two months Tarfaya city increased, increased in everything," he said.
    The ferry company is now exploring the possibility of establishing more links between the Canary Islands and Morocco.
    Officer Ahmed Ali, who is in charge of passengers on board the ferry, said new routes are being looked into.
    "This line is just one experiment because the company is thinking of opening more lines," he said.
    In the meantime, ferry operators and local residents and authorities hope the proximity of Taryafa to the tourist-packed Spanish islands will prove the main motivator for visitors to make Taryafa not just a stop over, but a place to stay and explore for longer.
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