Thousands of people are known to have killed in the Morocco earthquake, with the death toll expected to rise as rescuers continue to search for survivors. As the country\u2019s King Mohammed VI thanks Spain, Qatar, the UK and the UAE for sending aid, stories are emerging of the devastating impact on local communities. <\/p>\n
If you were due to travel to Morocco, should you still go? Your instinct might be to stay away, as going on vacation in a country in national mourning seems unseemly. However, that\u2019s not necessarily the best course of action, say those on the ground. Here\u2019s what to know about travel to Morocco as the situation continues to unfold. <\/p>\n
The epicenter of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake, which hit on Friday night, was in the High Atlas mountain range, about 72 miles southwest of Marrakech, in the province of Al Haouz, which has had the highest number of casualties. <\/p>\n
It was felt strongly in Marrakech, where the historic medina has been damaged. Seaside cities popular with vacationers such as Essaouira and Agadir also felt it strongly, while the quake was felt as far north as Casablanca and Fez, around 300 miles northeast of Marrakech (although no damage has been done in either city, or the north of the country as a whole). <\/p>\n
It is the deadliest earthquake in Morocco in over 60 years. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the earthquake struck it caused a lot of fear and confusion \u2013 Morocco is not used to earthquakes, and it took some time for the local authorities to provide advice\u201d says Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid Travel\u2019s Morocco-based managing director EMEA. The company had around 650 travelers in the country when the quake hit. <\/p>\n
\u201cOutside of the Atlas Mountains and the [Marrakech] medina, most of the country is now running as usual, with transport including trains and other services continuing to operate as usual, including airports.\u201d <\/p>\n
As of September 11, all historical monuments in Marrakech were closed until further notice, including key sites such as the Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace. <\/p>\n
However, private museums, galleries and institutions are already open, as are the souks, where storeowners told the AFP news agency that there are already concerns about plummeting visitor numbers. <\/p>\n
Public transportation has resumed and is now running normally. And while some hotels in the medina have closed due to structural damage, most are open. <\/p>\n
Kottosov\u00e1 \u2013 who arrived in Marrakech on Saturday night, and has seen people sleeping in the city\u2019s parks \u2013 says that she saw visitors getting guided tours, and people getting coffee in the new districts. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who are arriving now would see rubble in some places but it\u2019s not like the city has stopped. You could visit and ignore the impact if you wanted to.\u201d The new areas of the city look \u201cuntouched \u2013 like a normal metropolis,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
Bilal El Hammoumy, co-founder of tour operator Inclusive Morocco, says there has been \u201csignificant damage in the medina, especially in the old Mellah and the Jewish Quarter.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hotelier Vanessa Branson, co-owner of luxury hotel El Fenn \u2013 which suffered cosmetic damage, but has stayed open throughout \u2013 says that the medina is \u201cdoing OK.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cAny business that is able will be back open this week, most already are \u2013 most hotels are open, the restaurants are open and most of the medina\u2019s streets are accessible, having been swiftly cleared of debris,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\u201cMajorelle Gardens, Le Secret Garden and the Musee Des Confluences are all welcoming visitors too. Some areas of the souks have a little more disruption, but many stalls are already open for business.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe city is busy with the cleanup operation in progress, and though the buildings and people will bear the scars for a long time to come, the city is shaken, not stirred. The mountains will obviously take a little longer to recover.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think tourists should be going here [to the High Atlas mountains] right now,\u201d says Kottosov\u00e1, who is currently in the area reporting, and has driven through tourism-hub villages that have been devastated, past roadside souvenir stalls that have been completely destroyed, and has seen newly homeless people setting up camps. \u201cAll the houses are gone, people are sleeping in tents,\u201d she says. \u201cSome of the roads have not been entirely cleared, and there\u2019s a lot of traffic delivering humanitarian aid.\u201d <\/p>\n
Kasbah Tamadot, a luxury retreat owned by Branson\u2019s brother, Virgin founder Richard Branson, was closed due to damage. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of many, says El Hammoumy. <\/p>\n
\u201cMany hotels in the High Atlas Mountains have had considerable structural damage with some of them closing,\u201d he says. His company is advising clients due to visit, to reroute to the north of the country, or reschedule for a later date \u2013 not just because of damage to infrastructure, but to allow first responders swift access to the remote areas. \u201cI would advise people to wait a while to visit the High Atlas Mountains, but I think Marrakech can still be visited immediately,\u201d he says, warning that the city is muted because of the country\u2019s state of mourning. <\/p>\n