Portugal Emerges as Top Summer Destination for Moroccan Tourists, Overtaking Spain

After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, Moroccans are eager to travel. Some are already spending their first post-Covid summer vacations abroad. It is Portugal that is popular with many Moroccan tourists. The beaches (those of the Algarve, quiet and sparsely populated), the gastronomy... explain their choice to abandon Spain, their favorite destination, for Portugal. "As nature and wild beach lovers, we did a lot of research when we were still stuck in Morocco on the destination where we could thrive the most, and we were surprised by the change of scenery that Portugal, yet so close geographically to Morocco, could offer us," confides SnrtNews a young married couple during the health crisis.

"Everyone tends to automatically head to Spain. The Costa del Sol (southern coast of Spain) is very popular, which leads to a considerable increase in housing and food prices... and then, it’s not pleasant to spend your vacation on crowded beaches. The beaches of the Algarve, in southern Portugal, on the other hand, are always spared from mass tourism," he adds. Another couple had the happy experience of spending their vacation in the central and northern regions of the country, between the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto. "The villages located in this region of Portugal are very charming. The infrastructure put in place by the Portuguese authorities also allows you to visit several destinations by train, and cheaply. We who were used to spending a lot of money in Spain, are very surprised by this affordable destination," he explains.

As for Portuguese cuisine? Moroccan tourists love it. Their favorite dishes are: cataplanas, bouillabaisse and other fish-based dishes. As the vacationers testify: "Portuguese cuisine may not be one of the best known in the world, but that’s why we chose Portugal as a destination: the need for discovery".