Resumen de Converting local cultural heritage into a tourism place resource: the case of ait bou guemmaz valley in the moroccan high atlas

Mohamed Sguenfel, Hassan Khallaf

• The AITBOU GUEMMAZ valley, one of the most reputed mountain destinationsin Morocco, has undergone a remarkable decline in tourists’ arrival over the last two decades. Its cultural heritage assets has not been mobilized enough to contribute in boosting tourism place attractiveness. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is toexplore the hypothesis according to which the construction of a customized and far-reachingdiscourse about local cultural heritage will lead to a diversification of the valley’s tourism product. Tourism local stakeholders are supposed to mobilize both tangible and intangible aspects of the local heritage through the elaboration of a “thick and appetizing” discourse that will appeal to all classes of tourists.The results of the following paper will not only inspire local stakeholders in designing tourism products, but will also help switch interest towards the vital importance of cultural heritage in local development