Magical Morocco conjures allure

A street vendor sells a variety of dried fruits in Fez. [Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

Morocco is popular among Europeans, especially French. The country receives more than 10 million inbound tourists a year and is striving to rank among the world's top 20 destinations, the federation's deputy secretary-general Yan Han says.

The ambition is to attract 20 million visitors, who'll generate $18.2 billion in revenue by 2020, Xinhua News Agency reports.

Travelers are drawn to the rugged mountains and dunes, and Arabic and European architecture.

"A lot of people come to Morocco because of its cities, because of its ancient culture, because of its fortresses, because of the diversity of its culture," Haddad says.

There's good reason the United Nations' World Tourism Organization classifies the country as a "cultural destination", he explains.

Each place in the country has its own culture. People in the north know Spanish, while natives of every corner speak Arabic and French. And many have a working knowledge of English.

And Moroccan peddlers, increasingly, greet Chinese with "ni hao".

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