Morocco Travel Safety: Why Solo Women Need Constant Vigilance

The Female Travel Safety Index (FTSI) highlights an average 38% gap between feeling safe and actual freedom of action, a phenomenon known as the “safety tax.” For many women, traveling involves adapting their clothing, social interactions, and means of transport to minimize perceived risks.

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Switzerland stands out as the absolute benchmark, with 83% of female visitors feeling “very safe” there. By contrast, destinations such as the United Arab Emirates and Croatia show mixed results: while 57% of women feel safe in the Emirates, nearly one in five adapt their clothing to local norms.

Increased vigilance during stays in Morocco

Morocco stands out in this study for the level of psychological adjustment required from female visitors. According to the survey, the kingdom is the destination where travelers feel the strongest need to remain “constantly alert.” Around 21% of participants acknowledged heightened vigilance throughout their stay.

This need for constant vigilance places Morocco in a specific category compared with other destinations such as Croatia. In the latter country, while 67% of women generally feel safe, 42% nevertheless prefer to avoid going out alone, representing the index’s most significant environmental adjustment.

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Elizabeth Hogg, director of operations at Holiday Extras, stresses that feeling safe does not necessarily mean feeling free. She notes that more than half of the women surveyed continue to restrict their individual freedoms abroad, whether through heightened vigilance or changes in the way they dress.