Morocco looks to diversify tourism arrivals
With traditional markets in crisis, Morocco looks for new sources of tourists
RABAT, Morocco (AP) -- Morocco's tourism minister says the popular North African travel destination is looking to expand its markets for visitors.
More than half of Morocco's 9 million annual arrivals come from just two countries, Spain and France, but both have suffered economic crises and there have been drops in the number of people coming from those nations.
Lahcen Haddad told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that Morocco is hoping to attract more visitors from Britain, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
Tourism contributes 8 percent of Morocco's GDP and is a top earner of foreign currency.
After years of steady increases, economic troubles in Europe and political upheaval in North Africa have kept tourism growth flat in Morocco over the past two years.
