Safe, stable, and still doubted: Why tourists keep questioning Morocco

Ray had just stepped out of the train station in Rabat, suitcase at his side, scanning the area for transportation to his hotel. Raised in the United Kingdom, he was used to navigating unfamiliar places without much concern. But in Morocco, he was visibly cautious.

“I feel a bit anxious,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s safe.”

That brief moment reflects a question Morocco has faced for years. Despite record tourism numbers, declining crime rates and a growing expatriate community, many visitors still ask the same thing: Is Morocco actually safe?

The concern persists despite statistics suggesting otherwise.

In 2024, Morocco welcomed 17.4 million visitors, a 33% increase from pre-pandemic levels, making it Africa’s most visited destination. By 2025, that number had risen to nearly 19.8 million.

Tourism revenue reached $11 billion during the first 10 months of 2025 alone. The Ministry of Tourism achieved its 2026 targets two years ahead of schedule, while 120 new travel connections were opened in a single year.

Crime figures also point to a safer reality than many tourists assume. Morocco’s national crime index stands at 47.0, considered moderate on a scale where anything above 60 is classified as high. Marrakech scores 41.85, significantly lower than London at 55.2 and Paris at 57.9.

Homicides remain rare, and violent crimes involving tourists are almost nonexistent. Recorded offenses dropped by 30% in 2022 compared with previous years. Violent crime fell another 25% by 2023, while car theft declined by 19%.

Still, the question of safety lingers, not only among first-time visitors but also among friends and relatives back home.

Seleena, who writes under @NavigatingMorocco on Instagram, said she has lived alone in Marrakech for years.

“Every time I go back to England, someone leans in, lowers their voice and asks, ‘But is it actually safe for a woman?’” she said.

Hamid Bentahar, president of Morocco’s National Confederation of Tourism, said tourists no longer raise safety concerns as often because perceptions have changed. But personal accounts and social media suggest the issue remains present in private conversations.

“Nobody lowers their voice and asks, ‘Is Paris safe?’” Seleena said. “Safety is not just a statistic. It is a feeling. And the feeling most people are describing when they ask this question is unfamiliarity. We confuse discomfort with danger.”

For her, the moments that felt unsafe had little to do with crime.

“I felt unsafe when my bank card was swallowed by an ATM on a Friday afternoon, leaving me with no cash until Monday. I felt unsafe trying to understand a medical diagnosis in a language I was still learning,” she said.

Her Moroccan friends, she added, are tired of hearing the same question.

“Not because it is offensive, but because it has been asked for so long, so anxiously, and so attached to a particular image of what this part of the world is, that it reduces an entire country to a risk assessment.”

Part of the anxiety, analysts say, comes from Morocco’s place in the global imagination. The country is politically stable, has seen no recent terrorist attacks and records relatively low levels of violent crime. Yet its location in North Africa often triggers assumptions of instability.

At the same time, the growing number of foreigners choosing to settle in Morocco tells a different story.

Victoria Lutai, a Russian who has lived in Morocco for decades, described daily life as largely uneventful in terms of safety.

“Not once during all my years living in Morocco have I been insulted on the street or harassed. I dress how I want and wear what I want. I have found a second homeland,” she said.

Others say the challenge is more social than criminal.

Anastasia Prasolova said she generally felt safe, but sometimes found the attention uncomfortable.

“I was fine overall, but sometimes the way people looked at me made me feel uncomfortable. It was a lot of attention,” she said.

“I knew I was safe. The discomfort mainly came from the amount of attention I received.”

Official travel advisories also shape perceptions. Morocco is classified as Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, the same level assigned to France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Yet few travelers feel compelled to ask the same question about Paris, even though its crime rates are often higher.