Cultural tourism is on the rise across the Maghreb, with Morocco the firm favourite. One of the great advantages for Morocco is the large number of music festivals where tourists and locals can mingle. The recent Fes Cultural Music Festival is a fine example. There are a growing number of reports that the Festival will soon incorporate a "fringe" element and increase the number and diversity of its younger tourists.
In a recent article in Maghrebia, Tim Resch, president of Friends of Morocco, says, "If you want to do cultural tourism, all you have to do is get off the bus." He thinks that if tourists can find others with similar interests, it will make the travel experience more rewarding. "Tourists can go into shops, and every shopkeeper will befriend them because they're doing business. But for people who are interested in cultural tourism, all they have to do is look within themselves," says Resch.
Resch also agrees that Morocco has a firm advantage because of the number of music festivals.
More advertising needed.
Morocco is the most visited Maghreb country with an estimated 6.5 million visitors in 2005, followed by Tunisia with 5 million. Algeria saw 1.23 million foreign tourists, mostly for visit its ancient rock paintings which are becoming the focus of recent advertising campaigns.
Phil Jones, President of the Friends of Tunisia, states, "There is a lot of joy in Arab culture. To visit any Arab country is to discover just how important they consider hospitality."
Mary Dell Lucas, director of California-based Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural Trips points out the irony that ..."Of all the countries in northern Africa, Egypt is the least safe, and yet it is the country with the most tourism. I think the governments of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco need to devote more money into advertising what they have."
Read the full Maghrebia article here: Cultural Tourism.
Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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