How do americans view morocco as a touristic destination - Research Paper Example

?  Tourism in Morocco: How Do Americans View Morocco as a Touristic Destination? (Add (Add (Add Introduction Morocco, for its close proximity to Europe and Africa, and also for its colorful culture and geography, enjoys a considerable number of tourists from Europe and other parts of the world. Also, the Moroccan government has been taking aggressive steps to improve its position as a tourist destination. World Tourism Organization in Tourism Highlights 2011 reports that despite the occasional issues like Tsunami and earthquakes, there was a 5% growth in world tourism. As a result of these aggressive steps, the percentage of international tourists to Morocco rose by 18.8% between 2008 and 2010. Admittedly, the same trend was visible in the case of Americans too. As Kiesnoski (2008) points out, there was a 30% rise in the number of American tourists to Morocco on an annual basis; and it seems that though traditionally America had been hostile to Morocco, the situation is improving due to a large number of reasons. However, Morocco has to go a long way to become a potential destination of tourism for Americans. How Morocco Is Different From Other Middle Eastern Nations Admittedly, Morocco has relatively good relations with the U.S. from of old. The nation is the oldest friend of America in the Middle East despite its non-NATO status. So, since 1957, the US Government has been working along with the Moroccan authorities to improve the lives of Moroccans. The second point that makes Morocco different from the Middle East nations is the different cuisine and traditions. It happened because Morocco has the relics of Arab, French, Spanish and Portuguese traditions. Probably, as a result of all these, one can see that nation is not as calamitous as its Middle East neighbors are. While other nations were turned upside down by citizens calling for revolution, and as the rulers of those nations retorted with military and weapon resulting in mass killings, Morocco witnessed peaceful agitations which are legally allowed and a peaceful referendum from the King offering limited monarchic power. In the opinion of Coskun (2011), another important point is that unlike other Islamic nations which want to end the rule of monarchs, many of the electorate in Morocco expressed total trust in the King. Thus, according to the Financial Times (2011) report, by adopting a constitutional monarchy like that of Spain or the UK, which is politically open and economically liberal, Morocco stands farther ahead of its Arab companions. The Potential of Morocco as a Tourist Destination Morocco always attracted backpackers for the diversity it offered. The very first element is the cultural tourism it offered. Tourists to Morocco get a chance to experience the various languages, cultures, dresses, and lifestyles (Oxford Business Group, 2007). As infoplease.com reveals, Americans have an affinity towards cultural sites and art galleries and museums. Nearly 30% of tourists from America chose such places in 2004 (International destinations of American tourists, 2004). Admittedly, there are eight UNESCO sites already in Morocco and another 20 sites are already in the consideration of UNESCO. That means traditions and cultures will remain as a matter of attraction in future too (Morocco, n.d). To illustrate, the one who reaches Morocco is perplexed by the large web of medinas. The medinas of Essaouira and Marrakech are examples. Another important factor that attracts tourists to Morocco is fine sandy beaches of Morocco. In other words, the beaches of Morocco are at least as beautiful as those in Europe. Thirdly, the nation also offers deserts, just like Africa. That means the one who wants to enjoy a ride on camel-back through the Saharan desert can do the same in Morocco. These elements are followed by mountains and colorful streets. Thus, it becomes evident that Morocco has everything as it is a perfect combination of various elements which make it a unique destination (Morocco: Department of Tourism, 2010). Despite all these points, it is rather surprising to see that the number of American tourists to Morocco is rather insignificant. The Poor Statistics It becomes evident from the statistics available from the International Trade Administration that Morocco reached nowhere in the list of top outbound destinations for Americans. The top destinations were Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Dominical Republic, France and Italy (Department of Commerce, 2011). In addition, the ITB Berlin & IPK International forecast for the period 2009-2028 predict s a growth of 6% in air travel to Africa. The tourism trends and emerging markets publication from UNWTO reveals that in 2010, 5% of international tourist arrivals took place in Africa. As Jing (2011) opines, Morocco, in near future will not present itself as a potential tourist attraction. Now, it becomes necessary to check as to what factors prevent Americans from entering Morocco. What Traditionally Held Americans Back? As it becomes evident from studies, the number of Americans who visit Morocco was much less compared to the number of tourists from other nations. According to statistics (as cited in Clammer (2009), only 2% of international tourists to Morocco were from America in the year 2004. The very first element is the traditional fear and prejudice towards Islamism that prevails in America; and this fear and disdain were substantiated by the evident anti-Americanism held by many Moroccans (p. 113). Admittedly, anything that looked American come immediate targets of terrorist attacks in Morocco. This fear and concern is evidenced by the warning in the U.S Department of State website (n.d.) that visitors to Morocco must be aware about the fact that Americans are potential targets for terrorist attacks and abuses of various kinds. Thus, the presence of Salafia Jihadia terrorists has a very negative impact on the American tourists’ attitude towards Morocco. As a result, the Americans viewed travel to Morocco a kind of adventure tourism where one’s life is in real danger and as it involved living among a hostile people. Admittedly, Morocco is known as a highly hospitable culture but Americans did not enjoy the fruits of such hospitality as it was eclipsed by the element of anti-Americanism. Thus, though the place was attractive, it received very few Americans in the past. To illustrate, Africa as a whole received only 2% of the American tourists, and for Middle East, the percentage was just 4%. Thus, it becomes evident that all the nations that posed terrorist threat and anti-American ideology were traditionally abandoned by American tourists. The Image of Morocco and Moroccans among Americans - a Look into Media and Literature The mere fact is that despite the best efforts from the part of Moroccan government, a lot more efforts and time will be required to convince Americans that Morocco is a safe place to visit. This is so because adding fuel to the fire, the 9/11 attack and the consequent Iraq invasion and the intermittent suicide bombings and attacks were more than sufficient to convince Americans that Moroccans were not different from other Islamic nations with anti-American sentiments. To illustrate, Veterans Today, a military and foreign affairs journal, urges that tourists should skip Morocco for a variety of reasons. It points out that despite the Moroccan official version that every step is being taken to accommodate European and North American tourists, Americans are highly likely to face torture inside. In order to substantiate the claim, a plethora of reasons is provided. The first one is the fate of a commercial airlines pilot named James Wilson who had to make an emergency landing in Morocco. He was illegally detained and tortured by Moroccan authorities. As Rose (2010) argues, if that is what happens to a pilot, the fate of a tourist in the hands of Moroccan authorities will be highly uncertain. The issue of prejudice is very evident in the media exploration of Morocco. Admittedly, all the media in the U.S are happy reporting and narrating the way Americans are tortured, or are likely to be tortured in Morocco. Thus, even though a wonderful tourist place, Morocco is the victim of all fears and speculations regarding Islamism, terrorism, monarchy, and lawlessness. To illustrate, BBC report dated 30 November 2002 points out that tourism to Africa is like tourism in an uncertain world. It is pointed out by Kathryn Westcott of BBC that the US-led war on terror had a negative impact on tourism as western tourists started increasingly shunning Islamic nations. While Islamic visitors abandoned the U.S, westerners started avoiding Islam nations for fear of torture and killing. In fact, such fears are not misplaced as evidenced from the fact that there are various incidences of torture by authorities, suicide killings, and abuses and so on. In addition, there are allegations that FBI is tracking Morocco youth who even do not have any history of crime. According to Westcott (2002), being an Islamic nation, Morocco could not, and will not, evade dislike of Americans. One can see that even American administration is not happy about sending its citizens to areas where there is terrorist threat. That means, all Islamic nations are considered dangerous places as it becomes from the study by Carter (n.d). In the study named ‘Islamic terrorism in Southeast Asia: an effects-based US regional strategy against Jemaah Islamiah and Abu Sayyaf’, it is revealed that a large number of Islamic nations in Asia and Africa are potential hubs of Islamic terrorism and it is necessary to take steps to keep Americans safe from them. A look into the study by Hall and O’Sullivan (1996) proves that the image of a nation in tourist-generating regions is significantly influenced by its political stability and political relations. If that is the case, it is totally understandable that Morocco was destined to be neglected by Americans and other westerners for the lack of concern for their lives exhibited by Moroccan people and Moroccan political leadership. The second important point is the role of media as pointed out by Hall and O’Sullivan (1996). The scholars argue that books, magazines, newspapers, satellite and cable links have a substantial influence on the decision whether to visit a country or not (p. 135). Except for a few who are considered eccentric, Morocco is an Islamic nation that possesses strong anti-American sentiments. This is the information available from everywhere including the American government website. In order to understand the impact of political instability and media coverage on tourism, one can look into the history of China. As a result of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, there was a considerable decline in tourism earnings in the same year alone. First of all, the world feared the instability there, and secondly, media showed army tanks aiming at the civilian population. As Neumayer (2004) points out, with these two reasons, tourists feared to enter the nation, and the decline in tourism was calculated at $ 430 million. Another perfect example is Turkey. In Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, in its effort to create terror, specifically targeted the tourism industry during the period from 1991 to 1996. Thus, many tourist sites and tourist hotels were destructed. Also, there were innumerous kidnappings and killings. As a result, the decline in tourist arrivals was nearly 8%. However, once the nation managed to introduce ceasefire, the tourist arrivals rose again. Regarding sub-Saharan Africa, one can see that the land often witnesses coups on a regular basis, and in such coups, Whites are often the victims of wrath. Very similar is the case of Islamic nations too. Referring to the above situations, Neumayer (2004) says whether an African nation or an Islamic one, it is not surprising to see that Morocco fails to attract Americans in large numbers. Despite all these political limitations, Morocco is trying to become one of the world’s best tourist destinations in a matter of two decades. So, it becomes necessary to see what things are good for tourism in Morocco and what improvements are being undertaken. A Look into the Image of Morocco as a Tourist Place and the Future Plans of Morocco The study by Abdullah Okumus and Bahar Yasin (as cited in Rachidi et al., 2006), compare the image of Italy, France, and Morocco as a tourist destination. When they conducted interviews among tourists and experts, it became evident that Morocco was considered as lagging behind in various aspects of tourism. In factors like luxury, infrastructure, night life, beauty of cities, reputation, weather, chances of sports activities, use of English, historical importance, chances for relaxation, and hospitality, Morocco scored significantly less than Italy and France (Rachidi et al., 2006). However, in areas like chances for adventure, gastronomic variety, and low cost, Morro came first. From the discussion, it becomes evident that the attractions offered by Morocco are not sufficient enough to attract people. In addition there are certain things that need to be introduced. They are avoiding begging, being friendly, being open-minded, and being helpful. Despite all these limitations, the Moroccan government is introducing aggressive plans to improve its position in the tourism industry. The vision set is to become one of the top twenty tourist destinations in the world by the year 2020. In order to achieve this purpose, the country has identified five main lines of development. They are; enhancing the range of cultural products, continuing to market the seaside resorts aggressively, creating a range of nature tourism products, setting themed corridors, and setting up a potent range of events and guides (Morocco: Department of Tourism, 2010). Though these are serious defects, the 30% rise in the number of American tourists to Morocco is a matter of consolation. Now, it is necessary to see how the recent upward trend took place. Factors that offer a ray of hope There are a large number of factors that help Morocco come out of the quagmire it is in and improve its share of tourism market despite all the negative connotations. According to Savannahs & Sand (2010), the very first thing is the fall in the value of dollar against Euro. As a result of this, it has become necessary for the tight-budgeted Americans to look for such economies that offer maximum value for their money; and when this situation arises, Morocco again gains importance for its variety of attractions at comparatively cheaper rates (p. 422). Secondly, the Moroccan government has liberalized its transportation sector enabling more number of flights to Morocco. This leads to an increased number of tourists. In addition, there are improved travelling facilities in the nation through better road and rail links which make movement from one destination to another faster and more convenient. Also, hotels and other facilities are improved to accommodate Americans and European tourists (Morocco: Thoroughly modern, n.d). However, the most important point from the part of the government is the effort to diversify the attractions. The newly introduced facilities include golfing, windsurfing, skydiving, and mountain adventures. As a result of all these points, an increase in the number of tourists is likely. In addition is the increase in trade between America and Morocco. As the nations signed the Free Trade Agreement, the bilateral trade rose and according to statistics, the bilateral trade in the year 2010 amounted to $ 2.6 million. This number is likely to grow in future (Resort Morocco, 2011). In addition, the Moroccan authorities are eagerly trying to attract foreign investment. In order to do so, the Moroccan government has invited nearly 20 firms including Cisco Systems, Lockheed Martin, FedEx, and general Dynamics IT to invest in the country. In order to ensure that these firms enjoy productive atmosphere in Morocco, the Moroccan authorities are introducing political, economic, social, and legal reforms. If these reforms are effective, they will be reflected in the form of increased number of visitors from America in the coming years. Conclusion In total, it becomes evident that Morocco is in a much better position than its Middle East counterparts when tourism is considered because of its diverse culture, diverse geography and relatively more peaceful and open government. However, being an Islamic nation, Morocco is not able to totally suppress the religious elements. Because of the existing anti-American sentiments and Islamic religious background, Americans generally fear to go to Morocco. However, the recent years have witnessed a slight change due to better communication and cooperation efforts. References Coskun, G. (2011). “Referendum in Morocco: A gate to change?” The Journal of Turkish Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3472/referendum-in-morocco-a-gate-to-change.html Carter, M. E. (n.d). “Islamic terrorism in Southeast Asia: An effects-based U.S. regional strategy against Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf.” School of Advanced Military Studies, 1-61. 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