Tourism in Morocco: arrivals to the Kingdom increase by 92% so far this year
Morocco's tourism sector continues to recover from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the measures taken by the authorities to boost this important national industry in the wake of the coronavirus, the Kingdom is experiencing a sharp increase in tourists so far this year.
According to figures from the Tourism Observatory, the volume of arrivals to the North African country recorded a 92% increase in the first half of 2023. From January to June this year, 6.5 million people have visited Morocco, 3 million more compared to the same period in 2022.
France tops the list of countries where most foreign tourists come from. 415,000 French tourists visited Morocco in the first half of 2023, up 75% compared to the previous year. The number of tourists from Spain has also increased. According to the Observatory's data, 404 thousand Spaniards have travelled to the Kingdom, an increase of 180% if the figures for 2022 are taken into account.
Other countries from which most tourists come from are the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States, with an increase of 100%, 141% and 111% in the number of travellers, respectively. In contrast, tourism from Belgium and Israel experienced a decrease compared to the same months in 2022, down 12% (2,000 tourists) and 22% (1.5,000 tourists) respectively.
The good figures during the first six months of the year had a significant impact on the country's main airports, Marrakech Menara, Mohammed V (Casablanca) and Agadir Al Massira, which received a total of 3.2 million tourists, representing 49% of total arrivals to the Kingdom. All three airports experienced positive results compared to June 2022 data. The number of arrivals increased by 91% at Marrakech Menara, 41% at Mohammed V and 79% at Agadir Al Massira).
Similarly, in the month of June alone, the volume of tourist arrivals at border crossings reached around 1.4 million, representing a sharp increase of 20 per cent compared to June 2022.
Tourism is a key sector for the country, with a great cultural and natural heritage, which is why the Moroccan government, following the indications of King Mohammed VI, has focused on boosting this industry with numerous measures that have facilitated recovery after the pandemic. The authorities have also launched several initiatives aimed at promoting the Kingdom abroad.
