Tourism in Morocco has increased by more than 7% so far this year. In fact, this trend has been consistent in recent years, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, it shouldn’t be news. However, it is interesting to understand the reasons behind it, which may also further convince you that your next destination should be this North African country.
#1. Stability
Unfortunately, Morocco’s neighboring countries, and even those that fall under the generic ‘Arab world,’ are not always characterized by political and social stability. However, Morocco is. Although there is still progress to be made in many aspects of daily life, the truth is that Morocco has not recently experienced political conflicts, worrying demonstrations, or other notable setbacks. Not even during the so-called Arab Spring at the beginning of the last decade. The country maintains a path of growth and progress without significant tensions.
#2. Public Investments
Those who visited Morocco 25 years ago and return now will notice the extraordinary change the country has undergone in just a quarter of a century. Significant public investments have been a reality, visible in infrastructures such as highways, high-speed rail lines, and sports facilities.
#3. New Flights
One of these public infrastructure investments deserves a separate chapter: airports. In recent years, new ones have been built (some of them truly iconic, like Marrakech Menara) and others have been expanded, resulting in a clear increase in capacity to accommodate travelers and air routes. And although the air network could still be improved to cover more regions, it is fair to say that it is easy to reach diverse destinations such as Marrakech, Tetouan, or Fez from practically all continents.
#4. Major International Chains
Public investment is not the only explanation for the increase in tourism in Morocco: the country has also promoted private investment, which is evident in the arrival of major hotel chains in strategic tourist destinations. From Pestana to Hilton, including Iberostar and many others. These chains, by their name alone, generate trust among their clients. And coexisting with them, by the way, are small entrepreneurs who have opted to restore riads and make them available to a different profile of tourist.
#5. Professionalization and Luxury
For many years, Morocco was a dream destination for backpackers (and to a large extent, it still is). But in recent years, the country has committed to the professionalization of the sector, with technical training and the promotion of good hospitality practices. This, in turn, increases traveler confidence. Especially for travelers in the premium segment, who seek not adventure or risk, but safety and comfort, aspects that characterize agencies like ours.
#6. Openness to the World
Without abandoning key aspects of its own identity, Moroccan society has indeed opened up to the world in recent decades, assimilating basic issues of universal rights, such as women’s access to higher education and work. And, although caution is still advisable on certain topics like alcohol consumption, this openness has reduced the cultural impact with citizens of the so-called ‘Western world.’
#7. Value for Money
And finally, we cannot deny that the value-for-money factor also works in Morocco’s favor: this country offers the concept of affordable luxury for upper-middle classes, who can enjoy a truly premium trip here that they might not be able to afford in Europe, for example.
