By Larbi Arbaoui
Morocco World News
Taroudant, December 29, 2012
According to local media reports, several world celebrities and famous global figures have already arrived to Marrakech or are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours to spend New Year’s Eve.
Over the years, the ochre city in the south of Morocco has become the place to be to celebrate world class weddings, Christmas season and New Year’s Eve for the beau monde.
Nicolas Sarkozy, former French president, and his wife Carla Bruni, accompanied by their daughter Julia, are expected to throw a big housewarming and New Year’s Eve party in the luxurious new residence they have recently bought in Marrakech.
Media sources have reported that as soon as she will end her handover ceremony with John Kerry, newly appointed US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will fly to the red city to celebrate the New Year.
The same sources reported that Clinton will be the guest of her sister –married to a Moroccan citizen-living in Alhouz, near Marrakech.
The Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Moza, the Saudi Emir Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn are also expected to spend their New Year holiday in Marrakech.
Sports superstars also chose the best African tourist destination, Marrakech, to spend the New Year holidays.
FC Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavier Fernandes , Zinedine Zidane, the retired French footballer, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and his former colleague in the same team Lassana Diara will also be part of the guests of the pearl of the south, according to AlArabiya.
Besides sports and politician celebrities, many showbiz stars, including Morocco natives, like comedian Jamel Debbouze, probably Gad El maleh, are also reported to have decided to spend the last night of 2012 in Marrakesh.
The flamboyant charm of Marrakech is nothing new. World Politicians, historians and distinguished authors have visited the city several decades earlier and written about its fascinating beauty. Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, once said that Marrakesh “is the loveliest spot in the world.”
Marrakech has quickly become the ideal destination of famous people who made it their favorite destination to celebrate weddings, Christmas, parties and New Year’s Eve, since it is easily accessible from Europe in addition to the exotic and romantic moments it offers.
Marrakesh has been rated as the world’s ninth shopping holiday destination by a panel of expert judges, in a detailed review for Which? Travel.
It also has been selected as the best African tourist destination for the year 2012, by the Word Travel Awards, an institution that rewards and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
The city of Marrakesh has already been selected as sixth best tourist destination in the world by travel website (Trip Advisor), after a vote of thousands of travelers all over the world.
Last July, VirtualTourist.com ranked Marrakesh as among the “Top Ten Best Street Food Cities” that provides tourists and passers-by with mouth-watering meals.
