Words: Keith Osborne
Published: 3rd April 2008
Morocco – Top 10 research resources
Our series of articles on the best online research resources for emerging property markets this week throws the spotlight on
Morocco. Since 2001, when King Mohammed VI announced his “Vision 2010 Plan Azur”, the country has experienced
significant tourism growth, offering potential opportunities for agents and investors alike.
Since the plan was announced there has been major infrastructure and property development including the expansion of the country’s airports and an
open skies policy.
EasyJet and
RyanAir are among the new low-cost airlines with routes into
Morocco. The increasing number of services on offer, not just from the UK and
Ireland but from
Spain and
Germany among others, has made many of Morocco’s cities, like Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech, more accessible to foreigners. The diverse range of nationalities attracted to the country, suggesting that the British are by no means the only audience of potential buyers.
We’ve looked at hundreds of sites relating to Morocco and narrowed down our selection to what we think are the ten best. If you feel we might have missed any useful sites off our list, please feel free to post your comments at the bottom of the page:
UK Trade and Investment Morocco Guide. The British government’s site collates useful basic information about setting up and doing business in Morocco, with information on banking, employee relations,etc. In addition, there are downloadable lists of essential contact numbers for lawyers, accountants, credit agencies and trade associations, all free-to-access.
Middle East & Africa Monitor. Produced by Business Monitor International, this regional news source provides in-depth economic, political and business articles and commercial intelligence. The up-to-date analysis and forecasting, and news items presented on a country-by-country basis, are available in print or online. The subscription of $765 (£380) gives you 15 monthly print newsletters plus full access to the site’s news archive. You can trial the site for free for a limited time too.
Euromonitor International “Travel and Tourism in Morocco” report. This recent report (published in January 2008) might seem expensive at £950+VAT, but it’s certainly the latest and most thorough examination of Morocco’s tourism industry, including residential tourism and the property investment market. It publishes the most up-to-date historical information as well as trends to 2011. There’s a summary of its content on the website and the full report is available as a download or in print.
Property Showrooms Moroccan Property Forum. With input from consumers and professionals, this portal’s numerous country-specific forums provide a lively arena for news and debate, and the Moroccan site is no exception. Subjects ranging from development updates to potential rental yields have been discussed recently, making it a useful gauge of the hot topics of the day in Moroccan real estate.
Expat Focus. Though the Moroccan strand of this expats’ guide currently lacks sections on buying and renting property (in fact, they’re actively seeking knowledgeable correspondents to write those sections), it’s a good source of everyday information about the country from “on the ground” writers.
Escapes2 Buying Guide. The most comprehensive guide to the property purchase process in Morocco that we’ve found. The focus is predominantly on fees and taxation, with very thorough explanations of property-related and inheritance taxes in the country.
Morocco.com. Though the site overall is a little overwhelmed with Google ads, the regional guides are some of the best we’ve come across for Morocco, and should give anyone new to the country a flavour of its diverse destinations.
EIN News. A subscription news service from IPD Group, with in-depth business and economic news. Though you can only access the information through paid membership (from $59.95 or £30 per month), there is a free trial available to evaluate the service for a few days before committing yourself. Members can also benefit from customized media monitoring, news feeds and press release distribution services.
Nubricks. The overseas property blog has a dedicated Morocco strand and contains general information about the country and its property market as well as updates on some of the latest development releases.
Vision 2010 Plan Azur. The official Moroccan tourism site provides a brief overview of the Plan Azur and the resort projects already underway as well as some general information on tourism and investment opportunities relating to it.
If you're researching other destinations, please refer to our other articles:
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