In the 21st century , property and real estate development in the city has boomed , with a dramatic increase in new hotels and shopping centres , fuelled by the policies of Mohammed VI of Morocco , who aims to increase the number of tourists annually visiting Morocco to 20 million by 2020 . In 2010 , a major gas explosion occurred in the city . On 28 April 2011 , a bomb attack took place in the Jemaa el-Fnaa square , killing 15 people , mainly foreigners . The blast destroyed the nearby Argana Cafe . Police sources arrested three suspects and claimed the chief suspect was loyal to Al-Qaeda , although Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb denied involvement . On November 2016 the city hosted the 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference
bomb attack
2011 Marrakesh bombing
Marrakesh