After the terrible earthquake that occurred in Morocco on Friday evening, Belgium has its travel advice website for the country.
But the warning only applies to the hardest-hit areas. “Following the massive earthquake that struck the province of Al Haouz on the night of September 8, travel to the area around Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant is strongly discouraged until further notice,” reports the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website.
According to the Belgian news agency Belga, approximately 630 Belgian residents “are currently registered through official channels as being in the region.” The worst affected regions covered by travel advisories are the Atlas Mountains, the epicenter of the earthquake, or the area around Marrakech, the main city in the region, which suffered significant damage.
On the other hand, some countries have not issued similar warnings currentlyand travel agencies have not initiated trip cancellations. While airports continue operations, the majority of tourists are choosing to continue with their originally planned travel arrangements.
Travelers who decide to change their plans According to TUI Belgium, they do not receive compensation for their holiday. Because the earthquake did not damage any of the company’s hotels, no trips are being canceled. “None of our hotels have been damaged,” says TUI Belgium spokesperson Piet Demeyere. “In this case we have no reason to cancel a trip with our partners there. Unfortunately, this means 100% cancellation fees.”
Only the trips that were planned during the three days of mourning that Morocco officially declared after the earthquake, can be reimbursed. Demeyere clarified: “Since this falls under force majeure, those trips will be refunded.”
More than 2,100 people have died in the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in decades. At least 31,400 people have also been injured, of whom 1,220 are in critical condition.
Every available space in Marrakech has been turned into emergency shelters for those who have lost their homes. In addition to public buildings that were spared from the earthquake, beds have been placed in large squares and even roundabouts.
Samia Errazzouki, a Moroccan expert at Stanford University, wrote in the Guardian that while people in the city have easier access to help, Access is difficult for rescuers trying to reach villages in the mountains closer to the epicenter.
