Morocco, Africa Drive Global Tourism Growth in H1 2025

Mohammedia – Global international tourist arrivals increased by about 5% in January–June 2025, with 690 million visitors from around the world, compared to the same period in 2024.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) reported that this performance put global arrivals several percentage points above pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

UN Tourism data show that growth was uneven across regions. Africa recorded the fastest year-on-year rise in arrivals, with a double-digit increase that outpaced other world regions.

North Africa performed particularly strongly within the continent. Industry summaries and regional reports repeated UN Tourism’s finding that African destinations were a key engine of the global rebound in H1 2025.

Morocco’s first-half performance

Morocco reported robust tourism gains in the first six months of 2025. Official and industry figures cited by Moroccan news agencies and national observatories indicate notable increases in arrivals, overnight stays, and revenues compared with H1 2024. These figures, from both the National Tourism Industry and rising foreign-currency receipts, point to higher visitor numbers and rising foreign-currency receipts.

Some outlets reported that Morocco received 8.9 million tourists in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year rise of roughly 19% for that period.

Other summaries tracking arrivals through July and August placed total inbound visitors higher as the summer season continued, and the government’s tourism strategy and air connectivity measures were cited as contributors to the growth.

Morocco’s strong 2024 baseline, a record year for arrivals and revenues, also provides context for the 2025 results.

Tourism revenue in Morocco increased in early 2025 alongside visitor numbers. National trade and finance releases noted a rise in tourism receipts for the first half of the year, contributing foreign exchange at a time when other sectors showed mixed results. Official figures placed tourism earnings in the tens of billions of dirhams during H1 2025.

Overnight stays in classified accommodation also rose. Data cited by Morocco’s tourism observatory recorded double-digit growth in nights spent in formal hotel and lodging facilities, with both international visitors and domestic tourists contributing to the increase.

The accommodation uptick is consistent with higher arrivals and longer seasonal stays reported through the summer months.

Why Morocco mattered to Africa’s lead in H1 2025

North Africa’s strong performance helped lift Africa’s overall H1 result; Morocco was repeatedly named among the regional top performers in industry summaries.

Improved air connections, ongoing marketing efforts, and the carryover momentum from 2024 were identified in official statements and industry reporting as factors supporting Morocco’s early-2025 gains.

UN Tourism’s regional breakdown shows North Africa growing faster than many other subregions in the six months, meaning Morocco’s gains had an outsized effect on the continent in total.

Trade and hospitality reports underlined that Morocco’s mix of cultural, coastal, and city tourism products continued to attract diverse source markets, reinforcing its role in.

UN Tourism cautioned that global results were mixed by region and that continued monitoring is needed to track full-year trends.

Morocco’s summer performance supports a positive near-term outlook for arrivals and earnings, but the final 2025 outcomes will depend on seasonal performance through the remainder of the year and on broader economic and geopolitical conditions affecting source markets.