Morocco sees tourists dwindle amid recent terrorist activities

Morocco has long been a popular destination for adventure travellers, but recent bombings in Casablanca have caused tourists to think twice before visiting, Moroccan officials have said.

An anonymous official claimed that “the flow of tourists has been shrinking and the authorities refuse to make the numbers public. The incidents in Casablanca in April were another factor in the trend of falling tourist arrivals because it tainted the image of Morocco.”

The biggest deterrent keeping people away had been the seven suicide bombings in Casablanca in March and April that killed all bombers as well as a police officer. Al Qaida affiliates have threatened rulers of northern Africa that they risk attack if they side with western powers.

All this is quite a concern for the city of Marrakesh, which has been transformed with hotels to cater to the tourists who are no longer flowing through the city. Morocco will have to do something to regain an image of safety if the government wants to reach its target to attract 10 million visitors a year by 2010.