Until just a few years ago, Morocco’s busiest airport was Casablanca, but today there’s a boom in bookings to Marrakech airport. To give you an idea, around 8 million passengers landed at Marrakech airport, perhaps Morocco’s most popular destination, in 2023, and the numbers were very high in 2024 too.
Yet Morocco has as many as 15 airports: Rabat-Salé, Tangier, Agadir, Al Hoceima, Dakhla, Fez, Essaouira, Errachidia, Laayoune, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Tetouan and, of course, Casablanca and Marrakech.
The boom in travelers landing in Marrakech has led to so-called overtourism, a term for tourist overcrowding that affects the quality of the experience in such a popular, well-loved destination as Marrakech.
But overtourism also damages the way Moroccans see visitors, even though Morocco is always grateful that a good share of its domestic economy comes from tourism.
The fact that Morocco has shed the bad reputation the news pinned on Arab countries, especially since that terrible year, 2001, and that it’s finally seen as a safe country, has helped increase the number of travelers choosing to visit this country so full of wonders to discover.
But, as we were saying, overtourism has grown too, crowding the sights and preventing the most respectful visitors from fully enjoying their trip. When it’s too crowded, whether at the airport or at the city’s attractions, first and foremost the Medina and Jemaa el-Fna Square, there’s a risk that tourists can’t enjoy their vacation.
Fortunately, there are solutions to reverse the overtourism that’s raising alarm in the Red City (and in many other cities around the world) and to give these destinations the breathing room they need to be appreciated and discovered as they deserve.
Why it’s important to avoid tourist overcrowding in Morocco
Morocco has a vast artistic, cultural and culinary heritage, and visiting it in a crowd, overwhelmed by tourists eager for selfies and stories, isn’t the best way to get to know it.
Nobody wants to go home without having seen all the beauty Morocco has to offer, without having had time to stop and chat with the locals and show off the Arabic words learned before the trip, without relaxing in a hammam or learning to cook a tagine or harira after being a guest of a Moroccan family.
And I could go on forever with the list of experiences you can have in Morocco. Just think: for many travelers, and for me too, even witnessing a sandstorm passing through is a wonderful experience!
Like every social phenomenon, tourism needs some rules (or rather, suggestions) to make sure visitors to Morocco don’t run into logistical difficulties caused by the sheer number of people entering and leaving the country and the main must-see sights in Marrakech.
Putting solutions in place to curb overtourism is also important so as not to overload accommodation, infrastructure and all the services offered by tourist cities and Morocco’s seaside towns. Not to mention that a country suffering from overtourism also sees other unwelcome effects, such as a rising cost of living in the big tourist cities, environmental damage and the exploitation of animals for tourism.
A solution to mass tourism in Marrakech? Choose other airports
The boom in bookings to Marrakech airport has congested the airport. But accommodation is congested too: there are no rooms left, you can’t get a table at restaurants, and I probably don’t even need to tell you how crowded the Medina is.
But there’s a solution to everything, and what I recommend to travelers on my guided tours is to plan a touring itinerary of Morocco, so you don’t spend too long in Marrakech and add to the city’s overcrowding.
In northern Morocco, for example, cities like Tetouan and Tangier have their own airports, and Chefchaouen can be reached from Tangier or Fez airport. If you want to head west of Marrakech to visit Essaouira, on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, there’s an airport there too. It can be a good idea to land there and then travel on to Marrakech.
And what about the capital, Rabat? Isn’t it worth a visit? In that case, choose to fly into Rabat-Salé airport. The airports of Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Fez have good connections with Italy and the rest of Europe, and many of my tours start from there.
Considering airports other than Marrakech, even though it’s the best served, is a great way to avoid congestion. It also helps prepare the airports to handle the flow of visitors who will come for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting.
Lisa
