Highlighting Morocco's Characteristics: Culture, Traditions and Business
If you are a tourist visiting Morocco for the first time, you will surely start with the most active and cheerful city Marrakech, and no doubt you will fall in love with its charm and no longer have the will to leave it, but do not make this decision quickly, there is too much to discover in other cities. . . To motivate you, we are going to take a tour in the next few lines to excite you further to know more details about this wonderful country.
Annie Spratt (2018) source
Morocco is a multi-millennial country, the heir of centuries of tradition. Nothing fixed yet in the kingdom! The culture is alive, incarnated day by day in the small gestures of everyday life, in the feasts, the rituals or simply the habits of everyday life. Stay there for a while and soak up this sweetness, this art of living.
The best is to walk through the towns and villages, through the narrow streets of the old districts. You are as close to people as possible to exchange with them. You will certainly be invited to share a glass of tea with a Moroccan: hospitality and ceremony will be at the rendezvous.
As it is a joyful country, Morocco is well known by its festive events, which called museums, including its own traditions with a variety of shows and spectacles, all these events are for you the opportunity to make contact, to live with the different cultures that make the diversity and all the richness of Morocco.
This is only a small glimpse of the cultures still living in Morocco. Travel the country to discover these little treasures of intangible heritage
The Cultural Connections
Morocco is an enigma of culture, a strategic position on the North-Western Coast of Africa, a geographic accident permitted a mixing of the modern society of Europe, and traditional aspects of Arabs and has become an aperture to the worldwide culture.
Damian Entwistle (2009) source
Approximately near the port, discover the bastion of the Sqala, a fortified monument of the eighteenth century. Today, it is a chic coffee-restaurant where you can enjoy delicious local specialties. Not far away, a few steps from the port, the Medina unfolds its allies. Rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, it is the most recent in the country, one of the most original too: behind its walls, Arab-Muslim architecture mingles with inspirations from Europe.
Delicious Food, Various Dishes
Choosing tagine or couscous from the restaurant menu is always a good choice, those special dishes are just one of the various foods that can be tried, you can also taste the bastila, or egg and tomato tagine.
Ulvi Safari (2019) source
Renowned worldwide, Moroccan gastronomy is of an astonishing variety: one does not cook in the same way on the shores of the ocean and in the Middle Atlas. Agadir has thus made a specialty of cooking with Argan oil, while in the mountains, it is the sheep that are accommodated in tasty makes for the greatest pleasure of the taste buds.
The Boulevard
The Boulevard of young musicians, commonly known as L'Boulevard, is a competitive urban music festival held in Casablanca, Morocco. It allows young musical groups to make themselves known by a wider audience, through competition. The event is divided into three parts: the festival boulevard, the competition called Tremplin and Sbagha Bagha which is an opportunity for several street graffiti artists to transform some walls of the White City.
Gnaouas Culture
This is a Moroccan music festival created in 1997 to promote the Gnawa (Haratin artists descended from former slaves) which is held at the beginning of each summer in the Moroccan city of Essaouira. The founders' goal was to make it a story of encounters, mergers and openness to others.
Jazz
By its two Jazzablanca and Tanjazz versions, since its debut in 2006, the festival has become an essential meeting place for fans of jazz, pop and world music. A true place of exchange, it also promotes the White City and the north queen Tangier and has achieved a status of the North African institution.
Modern Society
Morocco is a country resolutely oriented towards the future that has managed to preserve its traditions and prosper its cultural heritage, by valuing them as levers of development. The city of Marrakech is a perfect example: the district of the Medina and its souks retain an incomparable charm of yesteryear, while Guéliz and Hivernage offer the most modern facilities and infrastructures.
Moroccan Lifestyle
The Moroccan society is a conservative and modern society at the same time, a population well known by its solidarity and family oriented, they do everything together, and know everything about each family member, because of sharing culture. When about meals, a true Moroccan will push you to eat until you are stuffed, especially when it comes to traditional meals as tagine, Tangia, couscous, they eat all in one plate, while talking and sharing stories.
Tourists are mostly surprised at how Moroccan people can form friendships quickly, and even the carpet-seller in the old medina can be your friend just by giving you tea, even people you meet on the road while passing are likely to remember you the next day with greetings.
Ben Ostrower (2018) source
Business Culture
The combination of a variety of cultures as Arabic, Berber, Muslim and French, has given Morocco a specific business etiquette. As most of Moroccans practice Islam, Islamic values have a big impact on the business culture and relations.
Relationships are more important than knowledge:
· Moroccans prefers to do business with people they know, which gives them a sense of respect and trust, so building a network would be preferable if you aim doing business in Morocco.
· Even in business, Moroccan's hospitality is often present, so expect serving tea as a symbol of hospitality.
· Business meetings are based on the way you present yourself, make sure that your appearance is more elegant, and your manner is clear and precise.
· Dressing well is so important to affect a Moroccan investor/Partner, there is no special attire you can wear as a foreigner but if ever you wanted to impress a Moroccan, having Moroccan traditional clothes would give you a lot of appreciation.
· Appointments are necessary and should be scheduled and confirmed.
Business Negotiations:
· Generally, in companies, decisions are taken after a long time and procedure
· Moroccans look for long term business relationships
· Try to avoid using high-pressure methods as they will work against you
· Moroccan can be deliberate and forceful negotiators
· In Morocco do not engage in discussions that tend to be negative, saving face is so important
· Generally, one’s attire had better be conservative and formal for both men and women.
· There is no formal protocol sharing business cards, but take intention to give business cards in Arabic or French as most negotiations are conducted in these languages.
Morocco is a mixed voices country that refers to history, behavior, knowledge and traditions of Moroccan society.
Whether a tourist or an investor, you will enjoy the charm of each city or village, you may find that Moroccans’ behavior is strange and different from other cultures –European culture as an example- but they mean each word and each action.
Morocco is the best place to start a business because of the cost competitiveness, its strong and stable macroeconomic performances, free trade access to one billion consumers, world class infrastructure, qualified labor force, sectorial plans, and the constantly improving business climate.
Ressources:
https://www.visitmorocco.com/fr
https://simply-morocco.com/moroccan-food/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340303315576165707/
http://m.2m.ma/fr/programme/lboulevard-ambiance-de-la-2e-journee-video-20180917/
https://lnt.ma/festival-gnaoua-20-ans-toutes-dents/
https://maroc-diplomatique.net/ouverture-a-casablanca-de-12eme-edition-de-jazzablanca/
https://discovermyuniverse.wordpress.com/tag/moroccans/
Edited by Hiba Arrame
Pakistan: From Terrorism to Tourism
Photo by Muhammad Khubaib Sarfraz on Unsplash
If you live in America or Europe and watch the news regularly, you would have probably heard about Pakistan. It is located on the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and west. Iran makes up its southwest border.
In the east, it is bordered by India, while on the south is the Arabian Sea. China sits northeast while Kashmir makes up the rest. Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, and about 95-98 percent of Pakistani people are Muslims.
For a long time, Pakistan has been known for all the wrong reasons. Due to the negligence of previous governments, terrorism and lack of facilities, the country’s tourism industry suffered from a drastic downfall. But now the image of Pakistan as an unsafe country for foreign tourists is gradually changing and Pakistan is quickly becoming one of the world’s new favorite tourist destinations.
A country with diverse cultures and natural beauty, Pakistan can be a heaven for any tourist. From snowcapped peaks and frozen lakes to serene valleys and beautiful shores, interspersed with the ruins of ancient civilizations and Mughal and Abbasi monuments in Lahore and Bahawalpur, Pakistan is full of breathtaking views. The Kashmir region is known as heaven on Earth for its beauty while Swat Valley of North Pakistan is considered the Switzerland of Asia. Moreover, the religious sites of Hindus and Sikhs are also a great source of attraction for local and foreign tourists.
Pakistan’s northern region Gilgit is considered heaven for geologists and mountain climbers. It is blessed with long range of mountains and beautiful landscapes. The world’s second highest mountain ‘K-2’ and world’s deadliest mountain ‘Nanga-Parbat’ is also located in this region.
Every year during summer, North Pakistan is filled with thousands of national and international tourists who keep the local businesses running. Those who call these regions home rely heavily on tourism and in past 5 years the number of hotels and restaurants in these areas have doubled due to the surge in tourists.
Photo by Muhammad Khubaib Sarfraz on Unsplash
Pakistan has a rich culture filled with traditions and customs which represent the history of this region and if you are travelling in rural or tribal areas of the country you would observe that after every 100 kilometers, the ethnicity and language changes.
Pakistani people are known for their hospitality and they consider guests as a gift from God. So, if you are a foreigner in Pakistan, it might be a possibility that people will not charge you or rip you off even when they can.
Many languages are spoken in Pakistan depending upon the region, but Urdu is the national language of the country which connects the inhabitants of the different provinces. English holds the status as the official language in the country so the curriculum in schools, colleges and universities is in English. Therefore, English is widely spoken and understood.
The recent surge in tourism is the result of the Government’s new policies and decisions to promote tourism in Pakistan. The Prime Minister believes that tourism can save Pakistan's struggling economy. In regards to this, Pakistan has launched an online visa application service for 175 countries and 48 counties for visas on arrival to end mandatory no objection certificate for foreign tourists seeking to visit certain parts of Pakistan.
The British Backpacker Society in 2018 ranked Pakistan as the world’s top adventure travel destinations, describing the country as: “… one of the friendliest countries on earth, with mountain scenery that is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.”
Forbes has endorsed tourism of the country, putting Pakistan on the list of coolest places to visit in 2019.
Imran khan also sees religious tourism as way to boost the economy and create thousands of employment opportunities. In regards to this, he has decided to restore hundreds of neglected worship sites of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. Under his leadership, Pakistan has also shown interest in opening ‘Katas-Raj’ temple for Indian tourists to visit this holy shrine via the Wagah Border.
In November of 2019, Pakistan opened the ‘Kartarpur Corridor’ allowing visa free access to Indian Sikhs to visit one of their faith’s holiest sites ‘Dera Baba Guru Nanak’ located in Kartarpur, Pakistan which is just a few miles away from the Indian border. Since the partition of India-Pakistan, Sikhs have been demanding and praying to visit this holiest site and now each day, hundreds of Indian pilgrims visit this holy site in Pakistan where their founder ‘Baba Guru Nanak’ spent 18 years of his life. Pakistan spent millions of US dollars on this corridor which clearly indicates the ruling government’s commitment to promote religious tourism in the country.
Photo by Muhammad Khubaib Sarfraz on Unsplash
Between 2018 and 2019, many international travel bloggers visited Pakistan and shared their wonderful experiences with the world, highlighting the beauty and hospitality of the country. In 2019, the royal couple Prince William and Kate Middleton also visited Pakistan which indicates the improved security conditions in the country. These stories shared by international travel bloggers and the visit by the royal couple have put Pakistan back on the map for the international world as a tourist destination.
Pakistan’s tourism industry has suffered a lot due to terrorism but now tourism is on the rise but there still are many remaining areas of development that need to be addressed by the government.
So, if you are a traveler who doesn’t believe in media and want to experience the lifelong epic adventure with scenic views, visit Pakistan.