An incredible country which is just three hours flight away from the UK is keen to welcome more tourists, unlike Tenerife and Majorca. Located in North Africa, Morocco is a country known for its rich history, diverse culture, and stunning landscapes.
It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to the west and north, and it shares land borders with Algeria to the east and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south.
The country has a population of around 37 million people, with the capital city being Rabat, while the largest city and economic hub is Casablanca.
To attract more tourists, the country is taking a series of steps from building new hotels to hosting some popular sporting events.
According to the reports, the country is building new hotels ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The North African nation views the tournament as a prime opportunity to boost its tourism sector, with plans to double the number of annual visitors to an impressive 26 million by 2030.
To accommodate the influx of football fans and teams, the country is projected to need at least 100,000 additional hotel beds.
To address this demand, numerous international hotel chains are stepping in to help fill the gap. Several new accommodations are set to open, including the Waldorf Astoria in Tangier and 25 new Radisson Hotels scheduled to launch before 2030.
Additionally, many hotels that were affected by last year’s devastating earthquake are reopening.
Barbara Podbial, a Morocco specialist at travel agency Flee Winter, has been visiting the country for over 20 years and has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact tourism has had.
She told BBC Travel: “Tourism has had a positive impact in Marrakesh.
“You can see it in the cleanliness of the streets, it’s very safe, and people are not pushing you to buy things now the way they were before. But, with so many budget flights bringing in tourists, it can feel very busy.”
Some of the popular tourist attractions include Tourist Attractions Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech which is a lively square filled with performers, food stalls, and shops, and the Medina of Fes which is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a labyrinth of narrow streets and ancient buildings.
Tourists can also visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca which is one of the largest mosques in the world. One of the most popular tourist spots is the Sahara Desert which is a destination for adventure, including camel trekking and sandboarding.
A tourist who has been to the beautiful country wrote on TripAdvisor travel forum: “I went to Morocco with my fiance for our anniversary. It was a surprise trip but it turned out well. Morocco has some amazing sites. The best part was the time we spent in The Sahara Desert. It was so incredible to see the sand dunes and the stars at night.
“The sunrise was incredible. I would recommend it to anyone. We hadn’t arranged for a tour before arriving, but we got in touch with a local company once we made it to Fez and they did a great job arranging our trip to the desert. Lucky for us someone from our hotel recommended.”
Another tourist said: “It is impossible to describe an entire people and culture in mere words. My experience here in Morocco has been very interesting, I am really enjoying it, especially the visit to the Sahara Desert.”