Spain and Turkey Emerge as Top Vacation Spots for Moroccan Tourists

Faced with local tourism that is expensive but unfortunately does not meet their expectations, Moroccans are turning to other skies. To the north, beyond the borders, Spain for years seems to be the solution and welcomes an impressive number of tourists from the Kingdom. Other destinations, such as the Canary Islands, Portugal, Malta and more recently Turkey, are attracting Moroccans who flock there every year, observes Challenge.

Among the other factors that can explain this new trend that is taking hold in the habits of vacationers, one could mention the desire for a complete change of scenery, the impact of the Kingdom’s media openness (TV channels, internet, social networks, etc.) on the population, the drop in transportation costs and the improvement in the standard of living of Moroccans, with the rise of the middle class.

According to statistics from the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the standard of living has progressed in Morocco at an average annual rate of 3.6% between 2007 and 2014, compared to 3.3% between 2001 and 2007. To all this are added the data from the Spanish Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Social Security which reinforce this enthusiasm of Moroccans for travel abroad, supports the same source. But also, the revaluation of the tourist allowance by the Office des Changes, which has capped it at 45,000 dirhams, or even 100,000 dirhams, is an equally determining factor.

These are all measures that explain the figures of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Indeed, according to this institution, the number of short-stay visas granted by Spain, the 2nd most popular tourist destination in the world, to Moroccan nationals has almost tripled between 2001 and 2018, from 68,354 to 194,175, indicates the same media. Meanwhile, the data from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism on the attendance of the country of Atatürk by Moroccans are impressive. Here in particular, 176,538 Moroccans were recorded in 2018 compared to only 13,789 in 2003.