Morocco wants tourists to visit Western Sahara. Some say it's tightening its control

However, Binter Canarias, the flag carrier of Spain's autonomous Canary Islands bucks the trend, calling the area Western Sahara. It operates flights to Dakhla as well as the territory's biggest city, Laayoune.

Erik Hagen, of the campaign group Western Sahara Resource Watch, says airlines referring to the territory as Morocco is both concerning and misleading.

"When companies market destinations there as Moroccan, they risk contributing to a distortion of international law and public understanding." He adds that this raises "serious questions about corporate responsibility and due diligence in politically sensitive and illegally occupied territories".

When you search for a place to stay in Western Sahara on three of the biggest international booking sites, Expedia, Booking.com and Trivago, they also call the location of the hotels as being in Morocco.

A spokesperson for Booking.com says: "If a particular region can be categorized as disputed or impacted by conflict, we add information to our platform to help ensure that travellers can make a well-informed choice."

It said this is done by "advising them to consult their government's official travel advisories as part of their decision-making process. Our approach is consistent globally."

Expedia declined to comment, and Trivago has been approached for a statement.

Dr Andrea Maria Pelliconi, an expert in international human rights law at the University of Southampton, says airlines and booking sites "should distinguish Western Sahara as a territory with a different status from Morocco".

She adds: "It's possible that companies that fail to make this distinction will face litigation not only for violating international law and the Sahrawis' [the indigenous people's] right to self-determination, but also for issues relating to consumer protection and related information rights, and fair competition rules under EU law."

Pressure from campaign groups has led to some change. Last year, Airbnb stopped referring to listings in Western Sahara as being in Morocco.

Western Sahara was a Spanish colony from 1884 to 1976. When Spain pulled out Morocco claimed the territory.

An armed conflict soon broke out between Morocco and Sahrawis fighters who formed the Polisario Front, demanding an independent Western Sahara.

A ceasefire brokered by the UN in 1991 included plans for a referendum on self-determination, but the vote has never taken place. Today, the Polisario Front controls a narrow eastern strip of the country.

The Polisario Front's representative to the UK and Ireland, Sidi Breika, says tourism is being used to impose a "fait accompli" to Morocco's claim. He adds that most tourists visiting "are not well informed about the whole issue".

"All projects being carried out in the territory under illegal occupation violate the inalienable right of Saharawi people to self-determination and independence, clearly recognized by the UN."

Breika adds that Polisario was watching Ryanair "closely" and considering legal action.

In October, the UN Security Council voted in favour of prioritising Morocco's plan to make Western Sahara an autonomous region as the most likely way forward. It also extended the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara for another 12 months.

The motion was led by the US, who under President Trump in 2020, agreed to recognise Morocco's claim over Western Sahara in return for Morocco recognising Israel.

Despite these developments, the international legal position still stresses the need for a mutually-agreed political solution under UN supervision. The Polisario Front has also repeatedly rejected the autonomy proposal.

Breika remains defiant: "We hope Morocco understands that investing in tourism or any other economical projects does not replace the will of Sahrawis people and its inalienable right to decide its future."