Monday, May 25, 2026- Morocco is aggressively promoting tourism in Western Sahara, investing in luxury resorts, new infrastructure, and international travel campaigns aimed at transforming the disputed territory into a major tourism destination.
Officials say the strategy is designed to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment to cities such as Dakhla and Laayoune, where new hotels, airports, and coastal tourism projects are rapidly expanding. Moroccan authorities argue the development reflects stability and modernization in the region.
Critics and Sahrawi activists, however, say the tourism push is also being used to strengthen Morocco’s political and administrative control over Western Sahara, a territory claimed by the Polisario Front and recognized by the United Nations as disputed land.
Human rights groups argue that major development projects are helping normalize Moroccan authority while local pro-independence voices face increasing restrictions and surveillance. Some activists claim tourism campaigns often avoid mentioning the territory’s contested political status altogether.
The issue is becoming more internationally sensitive as Western Sahara gains attention from foreign investors, travel influencers, and international airlines expanding routes into the region.
Morocco has received growing diplomatic support from several countries backing its autonomy proposal for the territory, while Algeria and the Polisario Front continue opposing Rabat’s control. As tourism rapidly grows, the debate over whether development is bringing opportunity or reinforcing political dominance is intensifying across North Africa and beyond.
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