Rabat – Figures released recently by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have placed Morocco as the third most visited Arab country in 2022, with 11 million tourists coming to the north African country.
Saudi Arabia ranked first with 18 million inbound visitors, while the UAE came in second with nearly 15 million. The figures reflected the first three quarters of the year.
Morocco also ranked highly on the UNWTO’s Barometer for 2022 for its performance based on receipts, achieving a 6% increase over 2019 and ranking in the global top 10.
The UNWTO added that 2023 could see a return to pre-pandemic levels of tourism in Europe and the Middle East, with countries like Morocco, Turkiye, and France making significant recoveries to their tourism numbers.
The tourism and travel sector in Morocco has been showing signs of recovery throughout the year, after the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited it.
With travel and hygiene restrictions lifted, more tourists have been entering Morocco to enjoy its tourist destinations.
In September, Morocco’s National Airports Office (ONDA) announced that PCR tests and vaccines would no longer be mandatory to enter the country, removing one of the biggest obstacles for visitors.
Asia remains the one region lagging behind in terms of recovery, possibly due to COVID-19 restrictions remaining strict in some Asian countries, most notably China.
With the Chinese government recently opening borders and lifting restrictions, it will remain to be seen what effect that could have on its tourism industry, especially as safety worries continue to persist.
