By Alexandra Krauska
By Alexandra Krauska
Rabat – Ten countries were recently declared a terrorist threat by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. These countries include Spain, France, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Israel, and Morocco. Croatia, Greece and Cyprus have a “general threat” of terrorism.
The Sun, a popular UK-based media source, recently published an article asking its readers if their summer holiday was safe. After the attack in Nice, the attempted coup in Turkey, and violent conflict in Syria, there is a heightened fear of terrorism around the world, and it’s attracting media attention. Because of this, tourism in all of the named countries may struggle until the warning is removed.
“Around 500,000 British nationals visit Morocco every year. Most visits are trouble free,” says the FCO profile of travel advice for Morocco. The profile adds that there have been “some demonstrations in various locations across the country,” and that Morocco has a “poor road safety record.” The profile encourages tourists to respect the Islamic laws and customs.
Regarding terrorism, the profile says that there is a “high threat of terrorism in Morocco.”
“Attacks could be indiscriminate and could target foreigners,” began the section of the profile on terrorism. “In April 2011, 17 people were killed and 25 injured in a large explosion in Marrakech at the Argana Restaurant in Djema el-Fna Square.”
The greatest threat, according to the FCO, is the “growing number of Moroccans sympathetic or belonging to Daesh and other extremist groups.”
The report concludes, “there is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time.”
