Feature | Branislav Bieleny | Making Waves in Morocco
MUSLIM HOSPITALITY AND FOREIGN SURFERS
Morocco as a nation holds great respect to the unique sport of “ performing on the waves .” They are also quite diplomatic in their behaviour towards foreign surfers – after all , why would they need to behave differently ? Surfers bring tourist dollars to their country and whilst Morocco is generally considered one of the more developed African countries with rich fields of phosphates and iron ore , many remote villages in coastal areas rely on “ surf tourism ” as the mainstay of the local economy .
Tourism in Morocco caters for more than just backpackers with empty pockets but also provide adventure expeditions targeting rich foreign retirees driving SUVs . The former type of traveller , as we had the opportunity to find out , do not travel as much in comparison to the latter . Rather , these type of tourists prefer to reside permanently where the best waves are and spend most of their dirhams in a single place . Surfing villages that host such travellers have subsequently thrived more in recent years as surfing in Morocco has accelerated with increased popularity and reputation . To chase the waves in Morocco , enthusiasts come not just from Europe . As we sat quietly on our boards waiting for the right wave to come , we noticed the dialects and accents of other tongues – Canadians , Americans , French , Spanish , Portuguese , and even Australians . The most prevalent seemed to be French , slightly more than the Spaniards who arrive in Morocco having taken a short sail with their cars on the boat from Gibraltar to Africa .
Morocco as a whole is a pleasing country for foreigners and sees relatively little religious disturbances .
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ancient Marrakesh boomed as a huge tourist destination . Money poured into the city from foreigners buying up traditional Moroccan houses called riads in the medina - the ancient quarter of the city - and new fountains and parks sprang up around the city centre . Years later , when the Arab Spring swept across much of the Middle East , the ensuing turmoil took a toll on Morocco ’ s developing tourism industry as visitor numbers to the country plummeted . Today it would seem that wanderers to Morocco are on their way back to this tremendously colourful part of the world once again . Years of neglect have worn down the ancient cities , however . The authorities have taken note – the city walls have been repaired and much is being done to conserve buildings . Scaffolding surrounded structures everywhere . We found that getting ourselves lost in the medina was where the fun really started .
The Travellist | Issue 3 | July 2015 p11