I plan to visit Morocco in early May. Would Ramadan interfere with anything such as tours, restaurant closures or closing early, the medina with food, anything? Is it frowned upon seeing tourists having meals during the day?
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Chicago
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Nope. They have and want the tourism income from everyone all year round.
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My first trip to Morocco was during Ramadan. It’s an experience I treasure. Some thoughts:
In early May 2020, sunrise around 5:45 am, sunset around 7:15 pm. That is the fasting period. Shops/souk/medina may open a bit later than usual, and close earlier so people can go to prayer and Iftar ( meal to break the fast) In one shop I visited, I had to wake up the shopkeeper who was napping in the afternoon.
Be prepared for local cafes to be almost empty until sundown; the clients will be other non-Muslim tourists. Ditto with restaurants. In Marrakech, the French expat area was a bit more lively. People will not frown on your having lunch inside a restaurant. We tried to be sensitive by not walking around snacking and kept our water bottles in our day packs when not in use.
Family food shopping and preparation are a big part of the day. In the afternoon, the markets and the pastry shops will be particularly crowded, it’s a good time to visit them.
Be sure to participate in an iftar, at your hotel (book well in advance) or with a family if you are lucky. After iftar, the streets are alive with people out for a stroll.
Have a great trip!
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Morocco is far more liberal than many of the Islamic countries. I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years and we were warned not to eat or drink in public, especially around the locals during the daylight hours.