Growing Danger for Tourists in Morocco Turns Dream Trip Into Nightmare

A nation markets itself as a dream destination, boasting sunbaked medinas, Instagram-perfect desert sunsets, and ancient cities soaked in history. Yet for a swelling number of Western tourists, that dream is curdling into a nightmare. Alex Zhang stepped off the plane in Marrakech, Morocco, only to be cornered by two men in a pitch-black alley. They demanded money. When he had none, they threatened him. The 28-year-old accounting manager from Toronto is a seasoned solo traveler who arrived late at night for a three-day adventure through the winding streets of one of Africa's most famous cities. Instead, he felt trapped. He did not know if the men closing in on him wanted his cash or something worse. I've been to plenty of sketchy places, but this was the first time I actually thought: I am in danger, Zhang told the Daily Mail. This was the worst experience he'd ever had as a solo traveler.

He is far from alone. A growing number of Western visitors are coming forward with accounts of robberies, scams, and intimidation in Morocco's tourist hotspots. These incidents range from the winding alleys of Fez to Marrakech's ancient medina. The country prepares to welcome millions more as it co-hosts the 2030 World Cup. In April, Canada issued an updated travel advisory warning visitors of risks including terrorism, petty crime, armed robbery, fraud, and civil unrest. With its Instagram-perfect desert sunsets, Morocco has become a popular tourist destination for Westerners.

Travel blogger and podcaster Erin Hynes, 36, from Toronto, was backpacking solo through Morocco in 2016 when she was sexually assaulted in Marrakech. Nearly half a million Americans visited Morocco last year. The US State Department advises tourists to exercise increased caution, placing the country at level 2 due to terrorism and crime concerns in major tourist areas. Despite welcoming millions of visitors every year, Morocco publishes no detailed statistics on crimes against foreign tourists. This silence makes it impossible to say whether these cases are isolated incidents or symptoms of a wider problem.

The fake-guide scam that ensnared Zhang is one of the most common dangers tourists face in Morocco. The pattern is familiar: a stranger approaches, claims a road is closed or a landmark shut, then offers to lead bewildered tourists through the maze of unmarked alleys before steering them somewhere quiet. There demands for money begin to escalate. For Zhang, the harassment didn't end that night. The next day, he spotted the same man again, still demanding cash. When he refused, the man hurled an anti-gay slur at him and told him he wasn't welcome in the country. Zhang started carrying an umbrella everywhere he went as makeshift protection. I feel like you can have bad experiences anywhere, said Zhang.

I'll still travel solo, I just need to be a little bit smarter." These words came from Erin Hynes, 36, after she survived an assault while backpacking through Morocco alone in 2016. She was walking back to her hostel when a boy roughly 14 or 15 years old charged at her and pinned her against a wall. "I just started screaming until some local people came and intervened," Hynes told reporters. Fellow travelers rallied around her immediately, offering to stick with her everywhere for the rest of her stay. She never filed a police report because she was in shock and felt reporting it would achieve nothing. "I could barely describe him because I was so shaken," she admitted.

Hynes made a point of respecting local customs by wearing loose clothing that covered her shoulders and legs, yet the violence still happened. Morocco has introduced legal reforms to protect women from harassment, but attitudes change much slower than laws do. "The reality of being a woman is that something like this can happen anywhere," she said. She did not want one terrible experience to stop her from doing what she wanted. She also faced persistent catcalling and unwanted attention from men throughout the trip. "Unfortunately, it's a cultural norm," Hynes noted. Despite the attack, she finished the journey and returned to Morocco in 2023.

Alex Zhang, another seasoned traveler from Toronto, shared that his scariest moment involved being shaken down for money in Marrakech. He believes cultural shifts are simply slower than legislative ones. As a tourist, you choose to be there, so expecting home-style safety is unrealistic. It angers him, but he refuses to let it ruin the experience. Hynes advises solo female travelers to research their destination, stay alert, and understand the risks. "I don't share this to scare people away," she said. If Morocco is a place you want to visit, do not let others talk you out of it. Just go in with your eyes open, understand the dangers, and prepare for challenges.

Kate and Jeremy Storm, who run the travel blog Our Escape Clause, had their own nightmare while visiting Marrakech's famous tanneries on a round-the-world trip in 2016. They were weeks into the journey when they encountered a group of men who claimed the streets ahead were closed. The couple was then passed between fake tour guides and workers who pressured them into paying for a tour they never asked for. "The disconcerting part wasn't necessarily someone asking us for money," Kate told the Daily Mail. "When you go traveling in Morocco that's a minute-by-minute experience, but the level of organization did catch us off guard."

After reluctantly handing over an inflated fee of 200 dirham, or about $21 ten times the normal rate, they were followed into a side street where more money was demanded. The men closed in on them and shoved Jeremy. Kate noted that while Morocco welcomes millions of visitors every year, the country publishes no detailed statistics on crimes against foreign tourists. This lack of data leaves travelers guessing about their safety.

Kate screamed until the group retreated enough for them to escape into a taxi. They have visited more than 50 countries, yet this incident remains their most harrowing experience on the road. Kate insisted they otherwise enjoyed their visit to Morocco and plan to return one day with her children. She urged visitors to book a guide through their riad, avoid walking alone near isolated tourist sites, and be wary of anyone offering unsolicited directions.

Morocco's darkest tourism chapter arrived in December 2018 when Islamic State-inspired extremists murdered Scandinavian backpackers Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, of Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, of Norway, as they camped near the Atlas Mountains village of Imlil. Horrific video footage showing the women being beheaded was posted online and authenticated by Danish and Norwegian authorities. Despite her sexual assault, Erin returned to Morocco in 2023. But she urges women to be cautious and travel with company.

The killings shocked the country and triggered one of Morocco's biggest anti-terror investigations. Twenty men linked to the cell were arrested; three ringleaders were sentenced to death and remain on death row, while others received lengthy prison terms. For Moroccan officials, tourist safety isn't just a law-and-order issue - it's an economic one. The kingdom has built its reputation as one of North Africa's safest destinations and its security services have worked aggressively to disrupt extremist plots before they can strike. That reputation is about to face its biggest test yet, as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup.