At the beginning of my graduate studies in Lausanne, in the early seventies, I, like other students, used to work during the university holidays to earn some pocket money. The work in hotel business was very profitable for us. You could be housed, fed, have a fixed salary and glean tips. In two months of summer work in a five-star hotel, it was possible to earn enough to cope with up to six months of school expenses! But the work was tough because you had to be able to do everything and remain polite: As a bellboy already taking the bags, open the elevator to customer, do the small shopping, but do also the vacuuming and waxing shoes left by the guests in front of their rooms etc. Sometimes, in case of massive arrival of customers, or departure, we also had to help make the beds. We had to be available, if needed, day and night. A whole weekend break was extremely rare. But in all of this, a work was forbidden to us as temporary personnel, the one which touches the preparation and the service of the food. This work fell under the law and required qualified persons in a regulatory manner. The prospect of food poisoning was indeed a real nightmare for the hotelier restaurateur. In fifteen years of stay in Switzerland, I do not have the memory of such a catastrophe in the sector in question. Hence, probably, the good reputation of this Swiss service sector continues to this day. Moreover, many Swiss professionals work in this sector in Morocco and are highly appreciated and not only in catering.
But sometimes it is necessary to know how to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Few countries have worked the art of the table, the reception and the pleasures of gastronomy as the French did. So, In Hollywood films, from the beginning of the last century, the Chief Cook of a Palace often bears a French name, a kind of natural tribute to France’s efforts in this area. But, and this is understandable, this profession must always be exercised in the rules of hygiene and food safety so that the pleasure of meals is not tainted by any deviation from the norms susceptible of causing health problems. Pasteur‘s work began in France and the French are proud to set an example. To date, France remains the country that attracts the most tourists in the world and, as we know, tourists come back because, in particular, we took care of their meals!
There is no doubt that the French have left us, in Morocco and elsewhere in Africa, a good legacy in this area. Thirty years ago, I was among guests on a Sunday at the Mohammedia Yacht Club. Buffets of dozens of dishes, as enticing as each other, were arranged on a large stone bench in the restaurant-club. One of the guests had this reflection that the credit goes to the French to highlight our dishes this way. The chief cook, whose mother held this position before him, had at the same time the talents of an artist. The eye was feasting, then the stomach and digestion was doing well. Those who liked the drinks were also well served. Thus, the French are holders of this know-how, transmitted empirically for centuries, of which they remain great artists.
Moreover, the activity of the Hospitality was defined as service to the customer before the forties. The launch in the US, after the war, of hotel chains designed to serve the same day tens of thousands of meals (of the same types) has led to redefinition of the work as an industrial activity at the same level as the conventional industrial Units of food processing. Among the consequences of this redefinition, it has become possible for American consumers to introduce class actions on behalf of victims of Collective Food Poisoning. As examples have shown in America, a “Class Action” against an operator may mean the end of its activity. The Europeans then followed in the footsteps of the Americans and several countries have adapted their legislation to allow such class actions. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before this is the case also at home. Under these conditions, the taking of insurance against these risks has become unavoidable for the American players of the hotel industry and will become the case progressively elsewhere. This is particularly the case for operators wishing to work with major contractors such as Tour Operators. In addition, insurers, whose business is to hedge risks, cover themselves first by requiring certification that the institution to be insured performs the work according to the rules. After the International Federation of Tour Operators, which regularly sends the largest number of customers to Hotels, has recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) as a reference standard for the assessment of the quality of work for the preparation of meals; insurers have become accustomed to requesting a valid HACCP certificate before establishing insurance (my records).
France has indeed left Morocco a positive legacy in terms of practices in hotel and catering. But where France receives a hundred million visitors a year from all over the world, we barely receive the ten percent mainly from our neighbors in the northern Mediterranean. A lot of way remains to be done to honor the potential that our country has for the hotel and restaurant sector. It is probably for this reason that Morocco adopted the law 80-14 to support the necessary change in our tourism and accommodation sector that is increasingly globalized. Once the texts of application, under review, will be promulgated, we will then have the same instruments as our other partners, or competitors, to boost the activity of the sector.
Finally, the dozens of articles in this blog are often very critical of the work, which may leave something to be desired, of managers in different compartments of our agribusiness sector. But, as they say, there is the exception that confirms the rule. In this context, just for once, this article would also like to pay tribute to the FNIH (National Federation of Hotel Industry) and their hard work, conducted patiently and nationally, to educate operators on the importance of the application of the rules of hygiene and sanitary safety of food for the well-being of employees and customers. Encouraged by Mr. Lahcen Zelmat, President, the General Manager, Mr. Abdelaziz Samim, a great professional, does a superb job with his team among them a specialist in communication, Mr. Aziz Laktebi. The cross-regional seminar campaign for professionals of the sector is continuing in a sustained way, proof that the mentioned leaders are working twice as hard to save time and ensuring that our operators will be as quickly as possible catching up with our competitors. Then, Morocco operators will be receiving clients at conditions equivalent or superior than what they can have in other countries with touristic vocation as ours.
That is an example to follow for other leaders of other organizations in charge of the promotion of other sectors of activities of our country.
