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Marrakech – Morocco’s tourism sector closed November on a new historic high, with 18 million tourist arrivals recorded in the first eleven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
The figure already surpasses the full-year total of 2024 by more than 600,000 visitors, representing a 13.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The ministry attributed the performance to investments deployed under the 2023-2026 roadmap, including strengthened air connectivity, international promotion, and diversification of tourism products.
The ministry said the sector is expected to end the year with strong momentum, supported by December’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor described the results as proof of the sector’s sustained progress and Morocco’s reinforced attractiveness.
While figures for November revenues are not yet available, data for the first ten months highlight a parallel financial surge. Travel revenues reached MAD 113.26 billion ($11.32 billion) by October, exceeding the entire 2024 total of MAD 112.5 billion (11.25 billion).
This marks a 16.7% year-on-year increase and reflects solid demand across key source markets. Tourism expenditures climbed to MAD 27.54 billion ($2.75 billion), improving the sector’s surplus to MAD 85.71 billion ($8.57 billion).
Arrivals during the same period reached 16.6 million, up 14% year-on-year, placing Morocco 13th globally among the world’s most dynamic destinations, according to UN Tourism rankings. To accommodate this growth, the kingdom has added 43,000 new hotel beds since 2023.
Broader structural data confirm the sector’s expanding economic weight. The High Commission for Planning (HCP) reported that tourism GDP reached MAD 116.2 billion ($11.62 billion) in 2024, a 38.4% rise compared to 2019.
Tourism’s contribution to national GDP increased from 6.8% to 7.3%. Total tourism consumption – including international visitors and domestic tourism – reached MAD 201.7 billion ($20.17 billion) in 2024, up 42.6% from 2019.
International tourism spending grew by 46.8%, rising from MAD 93.2 billion ($9.32 billion) in 2019 to MAD 136.9 billion ($13.69 billion) in 2024. Domestic and outbound tourism consumption reached MAD 64.8 billion ($6.48 billion), representing a 34.6% increase.
Positioning Morocco among the top 10-15 global destinations by 2026
These gains are aligned with Morocco’s broader tourism roadmap. The 2023-2026 strategy targets 17.5 to 18 million visitors and MAD 120-124 billion ($12-12.4 billion) in revenues by 2025-2026, alongside 200,000 new jobs – targets that now appear largely achieved ahead of schedule given the current arrivals and revenue levels.
Officials frame these benchmarks as transitional steps toward the longer-term objective of hosting 26 million tourists by 2030 and roughly doubling annual tourism receipts, capitalizing on the momentum generated by the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
To reach these goals, authorities are shifting from a traditional “sun-and-sea” profile to a diversified portfolio of themed tourism experiences, ranging from nature and adventure to cultural circuits, seaside tourism, and business travel.
The Moroccan National Tourist Office’s (ONMT) branding efforts under “Morocco, Land of Light,” “Light in Action,” and “Morocco, Land of Football” plans aim to position the kingdom among the top 10-15 global destinations by 2026 through targeted promotion in key markets.
Infrastructure expansion is central to this trajectory. Plans include doubling airport capacity from 38 million to 80 million passengers by 2030, extending high-speed rail to Marrakech and Agadir, and rolling out World Cup-linked stadium and transport upgrades.
Complementary measures focus on developing inland and niche destinations, strengthening sustainability, and supporting resilience amid climate pressures.
With arrivals surpassing forecasts and revenues posting successive records, Morocco enters 2026 with a tourism sector that has exceeded several interim targets ahead of schedule.
Policymakers say the challenge now is to consolidate these gains while steering the sector toward diversified, resilient, and sustainable growth aligned with the decade’s broader ambitions.
