Ecotourism in Morocco: Review of the Current Situation, Natural Potential, Cultural Diversity, Obstacles and Recommendations for Future Research

Abstract

This review attempts to highlight the past and current status of ecotourism in Morocco, investigate its committed as an   essential sustainable product, and make recommendations to develop this sector. A deep electronic bibliographic  search  on Google Scholar, research engines, and databases including Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, and Hindawi   between 1970 and 2023. To accomplish this review, we used the following keywords: ‘ecotourism, geotourism, and   sustainable tourism, all in relation to Morocco. Currently, the state has developed articulate projects and policies  looking  for the enlargement of this segment as a strong alternative pillar. Equally, ecotourism is a way to protect   cultural and natural heritage. However, tourist destinations remain conquered by seaside products. While other   sustainable practices remain hostile. The concentration of marketing and infrastructure in empirical-coastline cities   attracts visitors to these destinations, while other regions are less visited despite their richness in natural and cultural   potentials. On the other hand, we proposed to upsurge the awareness of populations toward their cultural and natural   heritage as a good manner to protect them and increase their incomes, which is sufficient to develop sustainable   tourism. Finally, more deep studies on the effects of ecotourism on the natural ecosystems and cultural values are   urgently needed to clarify the potential of natural products counting ecosystems, and their ecological services, of   cultural heritage counting prehistoric monuments, mainly in isolated regions, and of infrastructure capabilities between   distant places to encourage the equitable distribution of visitors in different regions.