Record number of tourists in Morocco
Morocco's tourism sector is experiencing a golden age.
Morocco's appeal is evident to all those seeking a beautiful and enriching travel experience, and this is evident in the latest figures for visitors to the Moroccan kingdom.
The end of September has left an all-time record with more than 13 million tourists in Morocco to date, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy of the Kingdom of Morocco.
This milestone represents an increase of around 2 million tourists compared to the same period in 2023, reflecting Morocco's growing dynamism as an international tourist destination, an official statement from the Ministry of Tourism itself indicated.
The month of September also recorded a great result with the reception of 1.3 million tourists, an increase of 33% compared to September 2023, as reported by the Ministry, noting that the number of foreign tourists soared by 40% for the same month.
‘The Moroccan momentum is undeniable. Under the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, our country is increasingly shining on the international stage. The efforts we have made, in accordance with our roadmap, are bearing fruit,’ said Fatima Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, in statements reported by the official MAP news agency.
This exceptional dynamism has been contributed to by a significant increase in air connections, promotional campaigns and the development of modern infrastructures and attractive tourist experiences.
In terms of air infrastructure development, Morocco has multiplied air connections with other major international hubs in recent years, and plans to double its air infrastructure by 2035.
The Moroccan kingdom has made a firm commitment to a project to expand and modernise airports, and it shows. The Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Abdeljalil, has already announced that the Moroccan kingdom will work on the expansion and renovation of several airports to reach a capacity of 80 million passengers by 2035, compared to the current 40 million, so expectations are even higher. These initiatives are part of the Moroccan kingdom's preparations for the joint organisation of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In terms of promoting Morocco's attractions to tourists, the Moroccan kingdom has long been showcasing the ‘Morocco, Land of Light’ campaign, which was launched by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) in April 2022 with a view to placing the North African country among the world's most desirable tourist destinations and thus reinforcing its image to attract all types of travellers.
The ONMT renewed the national tourism brand and in these two years the initiative has borne fruit if one takes into account the growth in terms of visitor numbers to the Moroccan kingdom.
The challenge now is to reach 26 million visitors by 2030. ‘This new record of tourist arrivals fills us with pride and strengthens our determination to reach our ambitious target of 26 million visitors by 2030,’ it was officially stated.