Tourist Arrivals in Morocco Reached Record 1.9 Million in February

Morocco recorded 1.9 million tourist arrivals at the end of February 2023, showing a 464% increase compared to the same period in 2022, according to the country's Tourism Observatory.

Rabat – Morocco recorded 1.9 million tourist arrivals at the end of February 2023, showing a 464% increase compared to the same period in 2022, according to the country’s Tourism Observatory.

Data compiled by the observatory attributed the upward trend to an increase in international tourist arrivals by 703% as well as Moroccans residing abroad (MRE) by 324%.

The recent MRE arrival shows a 149% increase compared to February 2019, while the international tourist arrivals recovery rate has reached 99% compared to the same period, the observatory reported.

Regarding outbound tourism markets – traveling outside the country of residence of the visitor – Spain has experienced the highest recovery rate of 136%, followed by the UK (125%) and Italy (103%), while Germany has experienced the lowest recovery rate at 60%.

Morocco has established itself as a popular travel destination, with the number of travelers visiting the north African country expected to increase in the upcoming months.

The North African country attracted nearly 11 million tourists in 2022, a significant increase that prompted Tourism Minister Fatim Zahra Ammor to set the goal of doubling the number of arrivals to 26 million by 2030.

Last month, Ammor unveiled Morocco’s 2023-2026 Roadmap, allocating MAD 6 Billion ($592,7 million) for the development of the country’s tourism industry.

As part of increasing access to and from Morocco, Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONMT) is set to launch 35 new air routes across 10 airlines, connecting eight Moroccan cities to overseas destinations this summer.

Additionally, ONMT seeks to position Morocco among the world’s Top 10 destinations through its newly developed 2023-2026 action plan titled “Light in Action, which is part of the 2023-2026 tourism roadmap.

Morocco experienced unprecedented exposure due to the historic achievement of the national team at the 2022 World Cup.

Dubai-based media intelligence provider CARMA recently reported that the Atlas Lions’ stellar performance at the World Cup greatly enhanced the country’s reputation as a tourist destination.