Touring “our” past: World Heritage tourism and post-colonialism in Morocco

Bailey Ashton Adie

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Published conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    Tourism is a major industry in Morocco and the second largest contributor to the country’s economy, accounting for 11% of the GDP and employing 5% of the current workforce. In 2016, domestic hotel nights were numbered at 2.9 million. In comparison, approximately 5.86 million foreign tourists visited Morocco in 2017. Of these, 1.8 million were French nationals, more than double the next largest source country, Spain, who totalled 779,000 tourists. According to a 2015 study by the Observatoire du Tourisme de Maroc, 42% of international, non-Moroccan tourists visit monuments and museums during their trip. Therefore, it is unsurprising that World Heritage Sites are of great importance to heritage planning in Morocco. However, given the number of foreign tourists, notably those from France, it becomes necessary to understand the selection of World Heritage sites, particularly given their use as international representations of national identity. Using the case study of the Archaeological Site of Volubilis, this chapter will analyse the complexities of using the World Heritage list as a tool to promote a heritage that has been, in part, dictated by colonial ideas of cultural importance.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationCultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa
    Subtitle of host publicationComplexities, Management and Practices
    EditorsSiamak Seyfi, C. Michael Hall
    PublisherRoutledge
    Publication statusPublished - 29 Sept 2020

    Publication series

    NameContemporary Geographies of Leisure, Tourism and Mobility
    PublisherRoutledge

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