The popular travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler included Morocco among the top 10 most searched tourist destinations on Google this year 2023. Earlier this week, the prestigious and well-known travel magazine published its list of the most popular places among travellers based on Google searches.
Condé Nast Traveler provided information and facts about Morocco to its readers, also referring to the devastating earthquake that struck the North African country on 8 September.
However, despite the powerful earthquake, the Kingdom has continued to welcome millions of tourists from around the world and to invest in tourism, one of the country’s main domestic sectors. “The nation is still recovering, but the response from travellers was strong,” the magazine noted.
In this regard, Condé Nast Traveler noted that travellers have been encouraged to continue visiting the country to contribute to its rapid recovery. Morocco’s tourism industry was trying to fully recover from the coronavirus pandemic, so the earthquake was a major blow to the sector.
Institutions, organisations and travel agencies have continued to promote Morocco as a tourist destination worldwide. The magazine, which describes Morocco as a “jewel box of colours”, recalled the diverse sights and sounds of its cities, as well as a “vast expanse of history and culture”. “Travellers were encouraged to keep visiting the country to explore all it has to offer, and it has a lot,” the magazine notes.
“We are not surprised that support for this gem of a country is in the top 10 this year,” admits Condé Nast Traveler, which also includes Spain, Greece, Malta, Egypt, Thailand, Cyprus, Croatia, Portugal and Italy in the exclusive list.
On the other hand, Marrakech is also among the most searched cities on Google this year. The famous Moroccan tourist city, one of the cities affected by the earthquake, is described by Condé Nast Traveler as a “colourful” city ideal for wandering its labyrinthine streets, “discovering infinite gems hidden in peaceful corners”.
“Beyond the glittering souks are some impressive places to stay: renowned hotels rub shoulders with small independent riads that offer a hub for refreshment and relaxation,” it explains.
Tourism is one of the main driving forces of Morocco’s economy. Revenue from the sector reached 88.4 billion dirhams ($8.7 billion) in the first ten months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 20 per cent, according to data from the Moroccan Bureau de Change collected by Morocco World News.
These figures show that the number reached on 10 October surpassed 2019 revenues. At the end of that month, Morocco also recorded more than 12.3 million tourist arrivals.
This compares to the 8.8 million arrivals recorded last year, indicating a growth of 39 per cent.
Source : Atalayar