Informality's Edge: Digital Adaptation, Resilience, and the Dominance of Tourism SMEs in Morocco's Marginal Drylands destination, Case study of Errachidi

Mohamed Boukherouk, Franck Chignier-Riboulon, Hassan Dkhissi

Tourism is a sector with undeniable dynamism. On a territorial and social level, it has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for integration and development, particularly in marginalized areas. Often neglected by development initiatives, these areas are attracting increasing numbers of tourists. The growth of tourism has fostered the integration of local populations. However, this integration relies on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), most of which operate in the informal sector, on the margins of the formal system to which they are nevertheless closely linked, navigating between the visible and the invisible. Through a case study of the Errachidia province, and using a methodology combining data analysis and a survey of a sample of formal and informal businesses, this study explores the heart of the informal tourism economy, demonstrates the importance of the informal sector in this territory, the strategies of the actors, and the barriers to integration.