Rising Middle Class Fuels Moroccan Tourism Boom in Europe

The European Eldorado attracts Moroccans for their summer vacations. Far from the daily life of the Kingdom, they increasingly prefer to treat themselves to leisure trips. This new trend is due to several factors. These include the desire for a complete change of scenery, the impact of the media openness of the Kingdom (TV channels, internet, social networks, ...) on the population, the drop in transportation costs and the improvement in the standard of living of several Moroccans, with the rise of the middle class.

Their first preferred destination is Spain. This country with which Morocco shares borders whets the appetite of travelers. Second tourist destination in the world, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Spain has almost tripled, between 2001 and 2018, the number of short-stay visas granted, from 68,354 to 194,175, for Moroccan nationals.

On the other hand, others prefer Thailand, Turkey, or even the Maldives.

In general, Moroccans express the desire to discover other horizons, other cultures, during the summer vacations, giving priority to destinations outside the territory.