Halal, mosques, airports: Morocco excels, but misses what matters most

Morocco ranks 14ᵗʰ worldwide in Muslim tourism, with a score of 70 out of 100. It ranks behind Oman, Jordan and Egypt in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2026, published by Mastercard and CrescentRating.

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Yet the problem does not lie with essential services. The Kingdom scores 95 out of 100 for halal dining, the maximum score of 100 for the availability of prayer facilities, and also 100 for adapting its airports to the needs of Muslim travelers. Accommodation, meanwhile, scores 76 out of 100.

These results place Morocco among the destinations best equipped to allow Muslim tourists to travel without having to look for a suitable restaurant, a prayer space or specific services at the airport. But this advantage disappears when it comes to turning Moroccan heritage into a genuine tourism experience.

The Kingdom scores only 36 out of 100 in the “heritage and experiences” category. This indicator does not simply measure the presence of ancient monuments. It assesses a destination’s ability to offer an authentic cultural immersion centered on its Islamic history, traditions and iconic sites.

The score awarded for destination promotion is hardly better: 37 out of 100. In other words, Morocco has the services and the heritage, but still struggles to present them in the form of itineraries, guides, specialized campaigns and experiences that are easily identifiable by foreign Muslim tourists.

Spain makes better use of its Islamic heritage

The comparison with Spain makes this weakness even more apparent. The neighboring country scores 70 out of 100 for heritage and experiences—almost twice Morocco’s score—as well as 77 out of 100 for promoting the destination to this clientele.

The report particularly highlights the way Spain promotes the Islamic history of Andalusia, the cities of Córdoba and Granada, as well as the halal options available locally. The Spanish tourism office also runs targeted campaigns in the Middle East and Southeast Asia and distributes regional guides listing facilities suited to Muslims.

Morocco remains ranked much higher than Spain in the overall index thanks to its religious environment and the availability of its services. But Madrid seems better able to turn a historical heritage limited to part of its territory into an international tourism product.

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Morocco’s challenge is therefore no longer simply to welcome more visitors. It is to make its heritage visible even before booking, organize coherent itineraries and explain to Muslim travelers why certain cities, traditions and experiences can be discovered only in Morocco.