BRAND-NEWS TOURISM visited
Morocco last month

Morocco is one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world. Mystique blends with fabulous nature, friendly people and excellent food. Add to that first class infrastructure, low prices and a very high level of security, and you have all the reasons to start planning your visit to a country that everyone should see at least once.
Brand-News visited last March the Morocco´s largest city, CASABLANCA, with the famous Rick´s Café (remember Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) and MARRAKECH, set beneath the Atlas Mountains. Morocco is a country that has its attractions evenly spread out is confusing when planning a visit. But let's start with the must-sees: The world's largest medieval city of FEZ. Or the pirates port of Essaouira, or Mogador as many knows it. Or the beach resort of Agadir, famous for never being too hot or too cold. (in the photo, Porta Voyageurs, the railway station of Casablanca)

While Morocco was a French Protectorate (from 1912 to 1956) tourism was focused on urban areas such as the Mediterranean cities of Tangier and Casablanca. Tangier attracted many writers, such as Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. There was a period of beach resort development at places such as Agadir on the Atlantic coast in the 1970s and 1980s. Tourism is increasingly focused on Morocco's culture, such as its ancient cities. The modern tourist industry capitalizes on Morocco's ancient Roman and Islamic sites, and on its landscape and cultural history. 60% of Morocco's tourists visit for its culture and heritage. The country's attractions can be divided into seven regions: Tangier and the surrounding area; Agadir and its beach resorts; Marrakech; Casablanca; the Imperial cities; Ouarzazate; and Tarfaya and its beach resorts. Agadir is a major coastal resort and has a third of all Moroccan bed nights. It is a base for tours to the Atlas Mountains. Other resorts in north Morocco are also very popular. [3] Casablanca is the major cruise port in Morocco, and has the best developed market for tourists in Morocco. [2]

Marrakech in central Morocco is a popular tourist destination, but is more popular among tourists for one- and two-day excursions that provide a taste of Morocco's history and culture. The Majorelle botanical garden in Marrakech is a popular tourist attraction. It was bought by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980. Their presence in the city helped to boost the city's profile as a tourist destination. As of 2006, activity and adventure tourism in the Atlas and Rif Mountains are the fastest growth area in Moroccan tourism. These locations have excellent walking and trekking opportunities from late March to mid-November. The government is investing in trekking circuits. They are also developing desert tourism in competition with Tunisia. (in the photo, Odair Camillo, tourism editor of Brand-News in front of Marrakech´s railway station)