You can now catch a direct flight from Manchester to a sunny, beachy paradise that been labelled ‘the new Turkey’.
Morocco is experiencing a tourism boom, with the number of flights to the African country from the UK rocketing in recent years.
There are four cities you can fly to directly from Manchester (including Marrakesh, Agadir and Tangier), but the newest route to open heads straight to Casablanca.
This is a coastal resort that promises great value for money, with three-course meals for less than £20 and the average cost of a pint just £2.50.
Manchester Airport has said that the surge in popularity of holidays to Morocco mirrors the recent boom in Turkey.
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And to celebrate the fact you can now visit the beautiful city of Casablanca direct from Manchester Airport, with prices from just £127 per person with Royal Air Maroc, our local airport has whipped up a bit of a guide to this hidden holiday gem.
Your first stop should be the Old Medina in Casablanca, which was the setting for the Hollywood classic film of the same name.
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Here you’ll find markets, cafes and street hawkers, plus views of the city from the city walls and ramparts.
The Hassan II Mosque is considered one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in Africa, jutting into the ocean.
At the time it was built in 1993, the minaret at the mosque was the tallest in the world at 689ft.
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You can now fly direct to Casablanca from Manchester Airport. Credit: Supplied, PixabayCasablanca. Credit: Unsplash, Chaoyue Ding
It looks extra-stunning at night when the building is silhouetted against the sunrise.
As for food, you can expect flavoursome Moroccan food like tagines and couscous, plus loads of seafood.
Casablanca is also home to one of the country’s best beaches in Ain Diab, with golden sands stretching for nearly two miles.
It has a more manageable temperature than some parts of the Med too, reaching average highs of 27C in July and August.
Once you’ve had enough of lying on the beach, you can head up to La Corniche, a seafront promenade lined with restaurants, beach bar and nightclubs.
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There’s even a waterpark in Casablanca – there are more than a dozen water rides and its own beach at the Tamaris Aquaparc, where entry costs just £18 for adults and £11.80 for kids.
Day trips to the Moroccan capital of Rabat, or to Fes, are also possible from here, as are hiking trips to the Atlas Mountains.
Direct flights between Manchester Airport and Casablanca are now available with Royal Air Maroc.
Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
Travel & Tourism
The route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes revealed ahead of Manchester debut
Danny Jones
The route for next year’s women’s historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to pass through Greater Manchester and more.
Yet another big coup for the region and our sporting scene.
Speaking with the City Council, now that the full route has been revealed, our very own Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway with our friends in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester.
Upon entering our neck of the woods, the course will pass through the likes of Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before heading into Stockport and neighbouring North West county, Derbyshire, and finally heading back through the Peaks.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event’s breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of ‘The Big Loop’ in more detail below.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, went on to add: “Being able to watch the world’s best cyclists in action and in such an iconic event, taking place right here on our doorstep in the heart of Manchester next summer, is going to be epic on so many levels.
“Championing women and girls to participate in and enjoy sports – including cycling – at all levels from entry through to elite, is really important to us and next year’s Tour de France Femmes is set to play a huge part in helping inspire the next generation of sporting talent from our city.
“With millions of spectators expected to line the routes, including here in the city centre, we’ll be going all out to help ensure the event’s success with what is set to be a ‘Tour takeover’ of the city to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses to get involved, to grow their own sporting skills, and to take part in the many community activities being planned.”
Having hosted everything from the BRITs and the MOBO Awards to another Super League Grand Finals in both netball and rugby, not to mention numerous other huge events over the past couple of years, it truly is a great time to be living in Greater Manchester.
Daisy Jackson -
24th July 2024 
