Morocco to weaponize its top industry in strengthening its grip on the disputed Western Sahara

Morocco's long-running dispute with Algeria over Western Sahara is no closer to being resolved, yet on the ground, one side appears to be going forward as if the issue is already settled.

• Morocco and Algeria remain at odds over the status of Western Sahara, with the dispute unresolved despite decades of tension.
• Morocco controls most of the territory and is actively integrating Western Sahara into its economy, particularly the booming tourism sector.
• Tourist arrivals to Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara have surged by over 50% in seven years, helped by expanded air connections and investments.
• International companies and airlines increasingly classify Western Sahara as part of Morocco, supporting Morocco's narrative of administrative control.

Western Sahara, a huge, thinly populated territory on Africa's Atlantic coast, has been the focus of a decades-long territorial dispute.

Morocco claims authority over the region, but Algeria supports the Polisario Front, which continues to seek independence.

A UN-brokered truce in 1991 promised a referendum on self-determination, but more than three decades later, the vote has yet to take place.

Instead, the territory remains divided, with Morocco controlling the majority of it and the Polisario Front maintaining a short eastern strip.

Morocco is now increasingly relying on one of its most powerful economic engines, tourism, to expand its presence in the region.

According to data from Morocco's Ministry of Tourism, tourist numbers to Morocco-administered Western Sahara have increased by more than 50% in the last seven years.

Arrivals increased from around 490,297 in 2019 to over 743,133 in 2025, a significant rise that reflects improved connectivity and investment, as seen on the BBC.

The expansion of air linkages has been a major driver of growth.

Along with Royal Air Maroc, low-cost and regional carriers such as Ryanair, Transavia France, and Binter Canarias now fly straight from Madrid, Paris, and the Canary Islands to destinations such as Dakhla.

For Morocco, the message is clear: Western Sahara is being positioned as a developing travel destination that has been integrated into the country's tourism map, rather than a disputed zone.

That framing is already present in practice, as many international booking platforms, such as Expedia, Booking.com, and Trivago, classify some Western Sahara accommodation as part of Morocco.

Airlines also display destinations in Moroccan-controlled territory, confirming the narrative in global travel networks.

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Rabat sees economic integration as serving more than just development purposes; it also strengthens its administrative claim to the territory.

Morocco and Algeria cut diplomatic ties in 2021 and have sided with competing international partners as a result of their dispute over the region.

In 2024, France publicly supported Morocco's sovereignty claim, while Algeria remains supportive of Polisario's independence bid.

Even global powers like the United States have attempted to mediate renewed negotiations, but progress has been limited.