Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rise of the Tourism Economy
Your arrival is hotly anticipated in Morocco. The government's 'Vision 2010' of welcom-
ing 10 million visitors by 2010 may have fallen shy of achieving its goal, due to recession
in Europe, but tourism has more than doubled since 2002, low-cost European airlines are
servicing more Moroccan airports, and the new 'Plan Azur' to create six coastal resort
magnets for tourism is well under way. In the past decade, tourism has handily overtaken
agriculture and fishing as Morocco's main occupation, and services represent over half of
Morocco's GDP, ahead of industry (mainly textile production) and phosphate mining
(mostly in Western Sahara).
All this has changed everything and nothing about Morocco, which has been a cross-
roads culture for 1000 years. In the souqs, you'll still hear carpet-sellers delivering their
best one-liners - but now they're in Arabic, Berber, French, Spanish, English, Italian, Por-
tuguese, German and Russian. Many historic family homes in Moroccan medinas have
been converted into guesthouses, where the mint tea is ceremoniously poured for new ar-
rivals with time-honoured hospitality.
With tourism still developing, your choices shape Morocco's future. Tourism could
mean more golf courses that strain local resources, or cultural tourism that rewards com-
munities for conservation of local landmarks and traditions. Spending a day in Morocco's
pristine countryside is even more helpful. The UN estimates that for every eight to 10
tourists who visit an urban area, one job is created locally, while in rural areas those tour-
ists represent six or seven essential new job opportunities. Even short visits have an out-
sized impact, since the average traveller expenditure for a splashy Marrakesh weekend is
equivalent to three or four months' salary for most Moroccans (about Dh900). For the
50% of Morocco's population that's under 25, opportunities to interact with visitors and
practise foreign languages are key preparations for joining Morocco's increasingly com-
petitive and cosmopolitan workforce.
