Digital Youth Subcultures: Redefining Moroccan Cultural Tourism through Social Media

The continuous development of tourism in Morocco has led to the emergence of youth subcultures as influential voices that share their authentic travel experiences and create new trends in cultural tourism. This paper explores how youth subcultures shape modern cultural tourism and the role of social media as a driving force behind these changes. It addresses the influence of user-generated content disseminated by youth on the perceptions of Moroccan cultural tourism among fellow-travelers and broader audiences. Further, the paper investigates how youth subcultures advocate for more sustainable, ethical, and culturally responsible tourism practices. To meet the research objectives, data is gathered from content shared on social media, including written texts, photos, and videos. Additionally, an online questionnaire survey was conducted among Moroccan young travelers and social media users to explore how they engage with their cultural identities, present their local traditions, lifestyles, and arts, and promote their own cultural heritage and diversity by engaging with local communities. The findings indicate that youth subcultures not only financially contribute to the travel industry but also enhance tourism experiences, play a significant role in raising cultural awareness, and shed light on the importance of more sustainable, ethical, and culturally sensitive tourism practices. Until now, there haven’t been any studies related to the youth subcultures and digital media in the context of Moroccan tourism. This research, therefore, represents a foundation for future research into the transformative potential of youth-driven content in challenging conventional tourism practices and promoting authentic and sustainable cultural tourism.

keywords: youth subcultures, social media, cultural tourism, Morocco