To go to Morocco?

[PonyinShorts]

I've booked a holiday in a couple of week's time in Marrakech for 2 weeks. Obviously now with the earth quake and everything I'm not very keen on going. I contacted my accommodation and they said their building is fine and I'm very welcome to their hotel.

Would you go? Part of me thinks that I'd be helping the local economy if I go, on the other hand it feels wrong to go and lie on a sun lounger when people's homes have been destroyed and they mourn their dead relatives.

Not scared of another quake, just wondering what is the right decision morally.

Thank you

Not sure how to vote, but I'd go.
Very sadly the dead are dead, the bereaved are bereaved.
I've been a few times and have several emails since from hotels I'd stayed in venues saying they're open as usual and look forward to seeing me soon.

Could you perhaps change from Marrakech to Agadir?
Agadir felt the quake but did not suffer like Marrakech has.

We’re booked for February but would still go in a few weeks

They will be relying on your money for their livelihood. If they can accommodate you it should be OK to go. Imagining surviving an earthquake unhurt but then losing your job.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I was ready to be told off for considering a holiday in a disaster zone but now I might reconsider my plans.

Ditto PP, we went earlier in the year and the hotels we stayed at have sent round email saying they are still open and encouragingly people to visit. Morocco is highly dependent on tourist trade.

I would be concerned that tourists would be getting in the way of rescue and recovery efforts - I’m sure hotels will say everything is open and business as usual but I’m not convinced. All that infrastructure that needs rebuilding and people with no homes anymore that need to be accommodated. I think I would also feel a bit weird swanning around on a holiday when the people around me have suffered something so catastrophic.

When we went to ME during an issue we asked family to take us to some kind of wholesale and got bunch of stuff like water and nonperishable food for the refugee kemp to donate. You could do similar for locals?

@Moonwatcher1234 this is exactly the sort of concerns I had but you put it in a more eloquent way

It's a difficult one alright, I'd say in a couple of weeks time things will have returned to some sort of normality.

From what I've seen and read it looks like the worst affected areas are high in the mountains, I've never been there before so not sure how far tourist resorts are.

They've been having after shocks but don't seem too concern about these.

If your hotel is OK and the area looks OK I'd go. We went to florida 2 days after hurricane Ian last year, granted a hurricane is not an earthquake but the damage etc were extreme. Many of our favourite restaurants were under repairs when we went, but there were lots open and unaffected. We'd go to one area and the paths and trees were ripped up and we go just around the corner and you'd think nothing happened. Workers did seem very stressed which is understandable, so you may need to take into account how their lives have been affected.

We kept an eye on the hotels Facebook page where residents were posting, has your hotel got a Facebook page? You'll get the truth and pics and videos from people there as newspapers can make things sound worse.

sorry to make you feel bad or anything like that - just wanted to share my thoughts as I also love Morocco and go often. Im going to give it a few months though and then reassess before booking my next trip there

It's difficult and I've got the same issue (though November) can change free of charge but that taking money from Morocco. Hotel I've booked is family owned so its literally taking money from a family and giving it to a corporate entity in the canaries, but seems wrong to holiday there all the same.

Im wondering about holding a fundraiser here then bringing with me things they need, there's a charity I know collating essentials but I was wondering about school supplies, toys or basics for families who have lost everything... mitigating guilt

If it's free to cancel or change then I would

If not then I'd go

You should go
They will need the money