Morocco, Africa's leading tourist destination with nearly nine million visitors

According to the latest data published by the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Morocco welcomed 8.9 million tourists in the first half of 2025, representing an increase of 19%, or 1.4 million more visits, compared to the same period in 2024.
These promising figures confirm Morocco's leadership on the African continent and offer very encouraging prospects for the rest of 2025. June, in particular, contributed to this momentum with 1.7 million arrivals, a record figure for a month of June to date.
- Africa's leading tourist destination
- A sector in good health
- New provisions on tourist accommodation
Africa's leading tourist destination
Morocco has achieved the targets set in its roadmap for 2026 two years ahead of schedule: 17.4 million visitors in 2024, a figure that reaffirms its position as Africa's leading tourist destination.
Prestigious publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Lonely Planet frequently include Morocco in their lists of the best destinations to visit. These rankings, often based on reader opinions, expert reviews and travel trends, boost the visibility and appeal of the North African country.
Similarly, major booking platforms and airlines have reported a significant increase in searches and bookings for Morocco from various source markets, including North America, Europe and the Middle East.

In a recent piece of research, luxury tourism platform Kinglike Concierge ranked Morocco seventh among the most searched summer destinations on Google by Americans, attracted by its exoticism and cultural richness. The research also revealed that Morocco is increasingly attracting travellers from across the Atlantic, who are interested in its cultural wealth, varied landscapes and hospitality.
Morocco is not just a fashionable destination across the Atlantic; its appeal extends beyond all borders, thanks to the new market diversification policy adopted by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.
Morocco's national tourism strategy is not only based on consolidating its position in traditional markets, but also on offering increasingly specialised holidays to meet the specific needs of a clientele in search of unique experiences.

A sector in good health
Between January and June 2025, Morocco recorded a 19% increase in tourist arrivals. This half-year record attests to the good health of the national tourism sector and reflects the country's appeal as a major international tourist destination.
After recovering its figures following the Covid-19 pandemic, Morocco has become an example of successful recovery in tourism. The achievements made should enable this growth trajectory to be maintained for the rest of the year. This capacity confirms the positive momentum of the sector and a very promising summer season.
In this vein, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has regularly highlighted the resilience and growth of the Moroccan tourism sector, noting a sharp increase in international tourist arrivals and tourism revenues, particularly in the post-Covid period.

Traditionally representing a peak period for the Moroccan tourism sector, the positive start to the summer season should consolidate the growth observed and confirm Morocco's attractiveness and its ability to attract a growing number of tourists.
Indeed, faced with the challenge of satisfying an increasingly demanding clientele, the Ministry has launched two priority projects aimed at strengthening air transport and accelerating the development of accommodation and leisure facilities for an increasingly demanding clientele.
These two priorities, improving both air connectivity and accommodation, will mark the second half of 2025, in order to meet the aspirations of tourists who choose Morocco as their preferred travel and holiday destination in Africa.
New provisions on tourist accommodation
As part of efforts to improve tourism in Morocco, the sector has recently undergone a major transformation with the publication in the Official Gazette of five regulatory texts supplementing the provisions of Law 80-14 on tourist accommodation.
According to the Moroccan government, this reform should mark a decisive stage in the repositioning of Morocco as a leading tourist destination offering an impeccable customer experience.
These texts include significant changes in terms of tourist accommodation, which seek to improve the following points in order to offer greater clarity and reliability to tourists in their choice of accommodation and greater transparency to professionals:
- Standardised star rating system for all tourist accommodation establishments (hotels, guest houses, tourist residences, hotel clubs, riads, kasbahs, etc.). They will now benefit from a simplified star rating system harmonised with international standards.
- Service quality as a core criterion: with an assessment based on a very detailed table (up to 800 criteria), developed in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and specialised auditors.
- Periodic re-evaluation of the classification: every seven years for new establishments and every five years for establishments already classified.
- Presentation of semi-detached residences: to encourage investment in the tourism sector. This concept allows investors to build villas attached to their five-star and luxury hotels, which they can then sell to private individuals.
- Simplification of procedures for applying for and obtaining operating licences and classification decisions: professionals in the sector will benefit from a 24-month transition period to comply with the new rules.
- Upcoming regulation of alternative accommodation: with the aim of introducing a rigorous set of specifications to guarantee quality and safety, provide a clear legal framework to integrate operators currently outside the formal sector and increase the number of options available to tourists.