Buying Property in Morocco - An Attractive Overseas Investment

Expert Author Ahmed Yermak
The property in Morocco is fast becoming an overseas investor favorite due to its transparent economy and huge potential on this flourishing market. The media has indeed elevated its status by such large projects as the 'Vision 2010' which encompassed vast economic developments and widespread upgrades to the tourist sector.

There has been an increase in televised programs and newspapers that continuously publicize the rise of the Moroccan property market, with statistics now showing that currently 3 out of 5 African properties owned by Europeans overseas are within Morocco. This figure is very likely to increase as the government continues to push more initiatives to favor foreign investment and tourism, a win-win situation as the country's economic growth steadily increases and foreign investors will eye a much more favorable market amongst its nearby competition of the likes of Spain, Egypt, Turkey and even Dubai, which are struggling with the pace at which Moroccan properties are rapidly converting.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism in Morocco is set for steady growth within the next 5 years by between two and four percent. More tourism means the need for more accommodation; the property rental in Morocco is booming and attracting investors in the plenty. Luxury hotels are being built and upgraded all over the country; to name Marrakech that will be opening 20 large 5 star hotel within the festive season alone.

Among the British who now see Morocco real estate as a better option than its Spanish counterpart, so do the Spanish, the French and the Italians. Where the Spanish property market is over saturated with higher risk and prices, the Moroccan property market is still young and has a lower risk to returns ratio.

Moroccan property investor view points:
• Excellent all year round weather conditions
• Purchase tax only 1.0% on the total price
• Government registration fee 4%.
• Legal fees 0.5%.
• Property Agency commission 2.5% - 3%
• Rental income taxed at 13.5%. Rental income is free from tax for the first 5 years.
• 20% Capital Gains Tax if sold within 5 years, 10% to 10 years, 0% thereafter.
• Casablanca and Marrakech property prices average at around €2,000 m².
• Local property rental market yields at around 7% - 10%
• Real Estate prices may increase by as much as 35% in some hot spots
The Moroccan property market is currently at a boom, this is the time to invest if you are capable: visit  to .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ahmed_Yermak

Morocco Tourism

Expert Author Swati Saxena
Where the dessert sways away the feet of the land, where coasts romances plains beside the horizon, where the colossal minarets apparently whisper the tales of culture, tradition and history in the ears of sky, where the sojourners are pampered with the moments of sheer bliss and where arts and crafts mark the cultural phenomena of the place - such is the invigorating atmosphere of Morocco.

The multicultural ethnicity offers a very conducive environment to the visitors where on one hand they can indulge in the ecstasy of emerald water while on the other feel the warmth of love at white sand desert, where they can see lush valleys challenging the peaks of Atlas Mountains. No wonder Morocco enjoys the charm of being one of the most frequented destinations of Africa in the itineraries of the globe trotters.

Morocco has had a glorious past where the original inhabitants of it, the Berbers, had to see the invasions of Phoenicians, Carthiginians, Vandals, Byzantines etc. It was only in the 682 AD when the Arabs arrived here that it saw several dynasties established by the Arabs. The history of Morocco is marked with a conflict between the Berbers and the Arabs. The territorial disputes of Morocco also form a strong foundation of country's history.

The fabulous history renders an authentic culture to Morocco. Being a Muslim country, the forbidden lines are never crossed. Wearing of ostentatious outfits is not allowed to the women in the country. Even the visitors here should be aware of this fact so as to enjoy a hassle free tour here.

The religious sentiments are thoroughly revered to by the citizens and especially during the month of auspicious Ramadan. Homosexuality may be the buzz of the modern world, but here it is a criminal offence. The sexual relationships outside marriage are legally punishable. But the conservatism of Morocco doesn't mean that it lags behind in modernity. Morocco, in its own way, is a perfect blend of contemporary fads and traditional culture.

The visitors to Morocco have enormous opportunities to soak themselves in the rapture of fun activities. It is very hard to resist the temptations of adventure sports of Morocco including trekking and hiking, walking to the Atlas Mountains, golfing, horse riding offered at the clubs, water sports that are a real attraction of the sun kissed beaches, skiing, and the four wheeler motor drives. These activities are more than enough to keep the travelers busy.

Travelers to the country cannot afford to miss to the tourist attractions of Morocco also. These attractions have secured a permanent place in the itinerary of the travelers. Some of them include the Koutoubia Mosque (mosque of the booksellers), Djemaa el-Fna, Dar Si Saïd Museum, Saadian tomb, Oukaimeden in Marrakech; Karaouine Mosque, Tanneries, Fez City Gates, Zaouia Moulay Idriss II in Fez.
Rabat shelters some of the best attractions of Morocco like Kasbah des Oudaïas, Palaces, Archaeological Museums, gardens, the citadel of Chellah, Hasan Mosque, Madina, Casablanca, Temara and many more. The popular places of Morocco that are on hit list of travelers are Asilah, Fez, Marrakech, Imil Gorges, Rabat, Tangier, Tineher, Merzouga Dunes and Zagora.

To have an experience of a lifetime a trip to Morocco is a requisite. So what are you guys waiting for? Just pack your bags, get your bookings done and there you fly for Morocco to have a platter of culture, tradition, art and craft, adventure sports, fun filled activities, heart throbbing destinations and scintillating tourist attractions.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Swati_Saxena

Top 5 Tourist Spots in Morocco

Expert Author David Gonzalez C.
Morocco is a fascinating country located at a stone's throw from Europe and enjoying two seas, several impressive mountain ranges, a delicious cuisine and an amazing history. Its architecture, traditions, archaeological sites, religious buildings and souks are definitely worth a visit, so here are just a few of the innumerable sites whose visit is highly recommended.

1. Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakech
The Djemaa el Fna square, which dates from the 11th century, is the main square in Marrakech and the most famous place of the Ochre City. It is one of the largest and more animated squares in the world. Moreover, as pointed out by the Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo on his article Jemaa-el-Fna's thousand and one nights, the square is "the only place on the planet where musicians, storytellers, dancers, jugglers and bards put on a new show before large crowds every day of the year".

The square's entertainments are innumerable and curious and include, among many others, snake charmers, henna tattooists, story tellers, fortune tellers, scribes, transvestite dancers, acrobats, marabouts or spiritual masters stating their teachings, street dentists, water sellers, Barbary apes tamers, all kinds of musicians and dancers, fairground attractions, magicians and traditional potions dealers.

2. Al-Karaouiyine Mosque and University in Fez
Al-Karaouiyine is one of the most important mosques and the oldest continuous operating university in the world. Its construction started in 857, but its architecture has evolved and grown throughout history until it became, in the 10th and 11th centuries, one of the most important educational centers and one of the first universities in the world. Several distinguished personalities studied there, such as the precursors of Sufism Ibn Hrizim, Abou Madyane or Abdeslam Ben Mchich Alami, the philosophers Avenpace and Averroès, the geographer Al Idrissi, as well as Maimonides and Ibn Khaldoun among many others.
The Al Karaouine mosque is nowadays the largest mosque in North Africa and it can hold more than 20.000 worshippers. Its design is rather austere, with plain white columns and arches and floors covered with reed mats instead of lush carpets. The mosque has 270 columns making 16 naves of 21 arches each, a sight that evokes a majestic and intimate forest of arches, in contrast with the simplicity of the design compliments the finely decorated niches, pulpit and outer courtyard.

3. Volubilis
Volubilis is an ancient Roman city located on the banks of the wadi Khoumane, near the imperial city of Meknes, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city lived on the trade of olive oil, which is indicated by the many remains of olive-presses among the ruins. The most spectacular remains are a great number of mosaics decorating the floors of rich residences. But their preservation is quite problematic, since they are exposed to the sun, the wind and the visitors, who can trample around freely.
In 1946, the excavations unearthed several bronze busts, one of which was that of Cato of Utica. Other remains of the Roman town have been uncovered, such as what should probably be interpreted as the headquarters of Idris I just below the walls of the Roman town to the west. In certain houses the plan of these grand residences can be seen, with their atrium and their impluvium, as well as certain bathing establishments, particularly four from Roman times with hypocaust (system of central heating) and a hammam from the Arab period.

4. Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
The Hassan II Mosque of Casablanca was planned on the spot of the old municipal swimming pool. Its construction started on the 12th July 1986 and was inaugurated on the 30th August 1993. It is the world's third largest mosque (after Mecca's and Medina's), with an inner court that can accommodate up to 120.000 worshippers and a prayer room welcoming up to 25.000.
The mosque was built right by the sea and its minaret is 210 meters (680 ft.) high, which makes of the mosque the world's tallest religious building. It was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and built by Morocco's best craftsmen recruited around the entire kingdom. Overall, they sculpted 53.000 square meters of wood and painted more than 10.000 square meters of ceramics. Authorities spent an estimated EUR575 million in the construction of the building.

5. Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is a city located in the Rif Mountains, in Northern Morocco, just inland from Tangiers and Tetouan and almost 2000 feet above sea level. Its name means "the horns" in Berber language in reference to the two main mountain summits that dominate and surround the city. It was founded in 1471 as a fortress to protect its population from the Portuguese and Spanish conquest after the Spanish Reconquista.
Chefchaouen is an enormously popular tourist destination, where over 200 hotels can accommodate the mostly European summer visitors who come to admire its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population. This charming city also offers excellent shopping opportunities, especially native handicrafts typical to the region, such as wool garments and woven blankets, as well as some gastronomic delicacies.

So, I passionately invite you to visit Morocco and not to miss these five impressive sites, which constitute true landmarks of the countries traditions, history and artistic wealth.

Once there, you can stay in one of the many fantastic Marrakech hotels or, better yet, in one of the typical riads of Marrakech. You can also stay in a lovely villa in Marrakech, closer to the rural areas, where landscapes are stunning and where the inhabitants will welcome you with open arms.

David Gonzalez-Company (BA Degree in Philosophy, Universitat de València (Spain); MA (Hons) Degree in Mental Philosophy, University of Edinburgh (UK); MA Degree in Comparative Literature, University of Washington (USA)) is a writer, journalist, educator and translator who has traveled extensively and has lived in several European, North American and African countries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Gonzalez_C.

Morocco - Tourism the Top Priority?

The Moroccan tourism industry could soon benefit from a greater range of major attractions as the influx of large number of visitors has necessitated the need for infrastructure improvements, leisure facilities and recreational outlets. The government efforts to make the country's economy less dependent on the agricultural sector are paying dividends. Authorities in Morocco are keen to diversify and generate economic growth in a more long-term sustainable manner by boosting the tourism trade and aiming to boost annual visitor numbers to ten million by 2010.

Research by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) found that the number of holidaymakers in the country rose by 14 per cent last year. The North African country attracted 7.4 million foreign arrivals in 2007. Morocco is proving to be highly popular with European tourists as nearly three million hailed from France; 1.6 million visitors came from Spain and 419,000 British tourists last year. The tourism industry is now an important source of the growth of country's economy, and it has generated almost a tenth of its gross domestic product last year. The holiday industry generated income of £3.8 billion in 2007 which is 12 per cent more than during the previous year.

Morocco is considered as a good-value holiday destination. The "fabulous" weather, beautiful scenery, beaches and a relaxed pace of life has helped to make Morocco a hotspot for foreign leisure travelers and overseas property buyers. Furthermore, the statistics suggest that there is growing potential in the country's buy-to-let market, as increase in the number of foreign arrivals means that demand for holiday accommodation has gone up.

The main reason for the growing popularity of Morocco among holidaymakers and second home buyers is it is easily accessible with budget airlines while low living costs and ample areas of historical interest makes it an attractive proposition. The price of entering a holiday attraction in Morocco is 3 times lesser than that in Spain. Food and drink in Morocco costs lesser than that in European countries. Figures showed that on average, a pint of beer can be purchased for just 51p and in Spain it would cost £1.56 while a three-course meal is priced at just over £10 and in Spain it is £17.50.

This suggests that property purchase in Morocco could be a potentially lucrative move, as investors in rental accommodation could find themselves in line to benefit from good returns and potentially the proceeds of capital growth. The intensification of tourist-related construction in recent years has suggested that the country has become more and more popular.

Latest real estate news and trends in Morocco real estate and Dubai property
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mahendra_Dey

Moroccan Tourism Industry Is Witnessing a Boom

The global recession has hit all of us pretty badly and it has affected the tourism industry as well. With people having far less to spend on their traveling, the far away destinations have seen a decline in the number of tourists arriving there. But then there are a few places that have seen a sharp increase in the tourist traffic for the very same reasons. Take Morocco for example, it is witnessing a real boom in its tourism sector as millions of tourists head to the country each year. The reason behind this increase of interest of the foreign tourists in Morocco is the cultural diversity, rich history and the awesome sightseeing experience that the country has to offer but also the fact that it is the closest and the cheapest tourist destination outside the Europe. The low price tag attached to the vacations in Morocco has made it a tourism hot spot and the year 2011 has been the best year for the tourism industry of the country.

It's not just the low priced flights and hotels that make millions of tourists to head to Morocco in fact the country is so rich with culture, historical sights and lively night life that even before the recession it had become the favorite destination for many tourists worldwide. Most tourists prefer to take a cheap flight to Rabat, the capital of the country, and use it as a staging ground for their ventures to the other cities of the country. Rabat is a comparably modern city with a world class infrastructure but it does not have much to offer to a foreign tourist that is looking for historical and cultural experiences. To experience the real

traditional Morocco head to the historical city of Fez, which still has the same old feel of the medieval era Moroccan city with thin alleyways and bazaars. In Fez it seems as if the sense of time has ceased to exist as you will find the horse carts, small shops and the locals that wear the traditional dresses - unlike the places like Casablanca where most of the locals, especially the males, prefer the western dresses over the traditional ones. Casablanca is the largest city of Morocco and also the economic center of the country. It is famous for its movie stars, night clubs and the most awesome shopping experience in the whole of Northern Africa.

The historical port city of Tangier along the Mediterranean coast is one of the favourite tourist attractions of the country and attracts thousands of tourists every year. But the cities are not the only attraction of Morocco, the deserts and mountains of the country are also the reason for the arrival of the thousands of tourists from around the world. Jabel Toubkal is the highest mountain of the North Africa and offers a great hiking experience to the visitors. For an enlightening cultural experience pay a visit to one of the numerous Berber villages out in the desert where the residents still live according to their ancient culture and customs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eva_Benz

Tourist Attractions in Morocco

Sand-dunes to snow-skiing, lush vineyards to hot deserts and mix in sandy beaches, Morocco has it all! This North-African region is a sensory overload and multi-colored mesh of culture and design. Travelers will be awed through the beauty and timeless magnificence of this land that may be resplendent in its culture, heritage and art.

Be allured by the breath-taking architecture of Morocco's mosques, palaces and historical web sites that happen to be by the hundreds all close to this state. Leave your map behind as you go to the labyrinth of Marrakesh exactly where streets are overflowing with quite a few distractions from snake-charmers to silver leather poufs. Dive into the myriad of stores in Marrakech's markets where by just one can come across anything from olives to carpets.

Then head on to Fes, the cultural and religious center of Morocco in which dynasties originating from Muslim Spain and Arab East collided. Together with its bazaars, mosques, medersas (theological colleges), tanneries and crammed streets; Fes has a certain spirituality to it which is a testament to its centuries-old heritage and traditions.

Go to the well-known Casablanca where Morocco is most cosmopolitan. Famed for its rich art galleries and fashion designers, this area exudes its richness and achievements to the planet. The stifling traffic jams and shanty towns are contrasted through the city's hotels, parks, fountains and colonial architecture.
All these destinations have stunning backdrops of areas like the Sahara desert, the mountain ranges of High atlas or even the Oregano Mountains. If you are searching for relaxation, traveling towards the fishing villages of Dakhla along the Moroccan coast or for the beaches of Plage Quemada.

Always remember to travel to the numerous museums like the Museum of Antiquities or the Museum of Moroccan Art where collections of historic manuscripts, pottery, jewelry and other historic objects can be found. Entertainment doesn't stop there! Morocco's theater scene showcases the Shakespearean plays and different modern productions that happen to be full of Moroccan tradition and folklore.

Spring-time (mid-March to May) is when Morocco looks lush and green while autumn (September to November) is when the climate has cooled. Be mindful at the same time on the timing of the Ramadan because town establishments close throughout the day and function hours are lessened.

Be sure to pick official guides rather than faux guides that garner their commission from certain hotels or articles sold to you from particular stalls. Women should be conscious of a certain level of sexual harassment that may be incurred from wearing inappropriate clothing or by making eye-contact. If especially harassed, threatening to file an investigation towards tourism police or the brigade touristique can be very effective.
How many wonders have you visit during your lifetime? Visit famouswonders.com and see the top wonders of the world and also have a look at morocco.

Source : http://fr3st.blogspot.com/2012/05/add-shareaholic-sassy-bookmarks-to.html#ixzz1vjUMqRHf