UK issues Morocco terror warning

Almost 150,000 Britons holidayed in Morocco in 2002

The threat to British tourists in Morocco from international terrorism has increased, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

It amended its travel advice for the north African country to say: "We judge that the threat from international terrorism in Morocco, including to British nationals and British interests, has increased."

Last month it issued a similar warning to tourists travelling to Tanzania and the East African island of Zanzibar.

Maintain a high level of vigilance in public places such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls

Foreign Office

The FO is advising travellers to the three destinations to "maintain a high level of vigilance in public places such as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls".

Its assessment that most visits to Morocco were trouble-free remained in force, it said.

A spokeswoman said she could not comment on the nature of the information which had led to the change in the advice.

Western interests in Africa have been the target of attacks in the past.

Africa threat

Eight people were killed when terrorists attacked the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam in August 1998.

In neighbouring Kenya, 15 people died in a bomb attack on a hotel near Mombasa on 28 November last year.

According to the Moroccan Tourist Office, 146,511 people visited from the UK in 2002, an increase of 8% from 135,642 in 2001.

At the beginning of January, the FO downgraded its warning to Indonesia despite the Bali bombing in October in which 190 people died.

But it says it still considers the risk of terrorism and future attacks "high" and is advising against non-essential travel to the South-East Asian country.