Rabat – As the cost of living increases across Europe, co-working and co-living brands, including Outsite and Selina, have turned to Morocco.
Outsite, an American membership-based hospitality brand for remote workers, plans to open its first riad in Marrakech on September 5 in response to high customer demand for Morocco, says Emmanuel Guisset, the brand’s CEO and co-founder.
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the real estate market, Moroccan properties have become more affordable, says Guisset. He argued that “it would have been much more difficult to take over [such a riad in 2019].”
“Because it’s very accessible, and it’s much cheaper than any country in Europe, [Morocco] is a super interesting country, and it’s just going to get more popular,” he added.
To meet digital nomads’ growing demand for Morocco, Outsite has been searching for new locations in Essaouira and other cities, while developing its corporate packages.
Like Outsite, Selina, which has over 163 co-living and co-working locations worldwide, in May opened its “Nomad Camp Agafay,” a tented site located 30 minutes from Marrakech. The company says that it will open new locations in Dakhla in December and Essaouira in 2023 while considering expansion into Taghazout and Merzouga.
“Morocco’s been on our radar pretty much since day one,” says Ariel Levinsohn, Selina’s vice president of global brands and creative. “We’re looking at a very big portfolio for Morocco. We believe it’s a top destination for our audience, and tourism is going to explode there.”
As Outsite and Selina consider expansion into the Moroccan market, the two brands see the North African country as a getaway to the rest of the continent. South Africa and Kenya are also considered in the brands’ regional plans.
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