Rabat – Morocco has managed to recover 84% of tourists during 2022 compared to 2019, with nearly 10.9 million tourists visiting Morocco last year.
Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social Economy Fatima-Zahra Ammor announced the new figures on Wednesday in a parliamentary session at the House of Councillors, noting that Morocco’s recovery rate exceeds the global recovery rate by 20%.
The minister emphasized that Morocco has experienced unprecedented exposure due to the historic achievement of the national team at the 2022 World Cup, citing that there have been more than 17 million searches for the word “Morocco” recorded on search engines. As well as over 180 million interactions on social networks, compared to the normal annual average of around 500,000.
She also highlighted that this achievement has helped to open up new markets for Morocco as a tourist destination, including the US, Brazil, Argentina, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, she explained that the Ministry is working to convert this “unprecedented global interest” into “tourist arrivals.”
Ammor also highlighted that the country’s tourism revenues in foreign currency reached MAD 81.7 billion ($8 billion) at the end of November. The revenues also show a recovery rate of 112% compared to 2019.
Domestic tourism revenues have also increased significantly, she said, mentioning that the number of overnight stays [tourist accommodation] has increased to 7.9 million (27%) compared to 2021.
Ammor also stressed King Mohammed VI’s important role and initiatives, which “enhanced Morocco’s reputation at the international level.”
The Washington Post recently featured Morocco as one of the world’s top travel
destinations for the year 2023, noting that Morocco was already emerging as a “major travel hot spot” even before the 2022 World Cup.
Meanwhile, several Moroccan cities were featured in travel platform Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Destination Awards 2023, including Marrakech, the ancient city of Fez, Agadir, and Merzouga’s desert.
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