Moroccan Hotels Push to Lift Ban on Unmarried Couples Amid Tourism Slump

The Moroccan Penal Code punishes with a sentence of up to one year in prison, sexual relations before marriage (Article 490 of the Penal Code). The police ensure compliance with this text by making the rounds of hotels every week to check their registers, with receptionists being required to demand marriage certificates from couples before handing over the keys. "I get more calls from unmarried couples who want to stay than anyone else. I could fill my hotel to 100% if only they would lift the law," explains Meryem Zniber, the manager of a hotel located in the Rif mountains, to The Economist.

Hoteliers hope that the new government authorities will correct the situation, as they believe they have suffered from the policy of the previous government led by the Islamist party, the PJD, which did not hesitate to stifle any initiative deemed haram or contrary to Islamic law. Moreover, the government of Aziz Akhannouch, "which seems more liberal," has recently announced a major revision of the Penal Code.

For conservatives, young Moroccans should continue to respect tradition by practicing abstinence before marriage. Young people, on the other hand, believe that this requirement is outdated and that other Muslim countries like the United Arab Emirates have decriminalized extramarital sexual relations a year ago. For their part, Saudi hotels have also stopped demanding marriage certificates from couples at check-in.

Several campaigns have been carried out in Morocco to demand the removal of this provision from the Penal Code. The latest one was launched on social networks with the hashtag "Vote4Love", after "Love is not a crime" and "Stop490".