The Moroccan tourism sector is expected to record a record number of tourists this year, which will boost the economy, despite the devastating earthquake that struck the country last September and what workers in the sector said about some disturbances in winter season reservations due to the current war on the Gaza Strip.
Tourism contributes about 7% to Morocco’s gross domestic product and is a major source of foreign currency.
The Ministry of Tourism expects the number of tourists to reach 14 million by the end of the year, including 13.2 million who have already visited the country until the end of last November.
In 2022, 11 million tourists visited Morocco, and in 2019 – the year immediately before the Corona pandemic – 13 million tourists visited it.
Minister of Tourism and Industry Fatima Zahraa Ammor said that all indications point to reaching 14 million tourists by the end of December.
She explained that Morocco aims to reach 17.5 million visitors by 2026 with the launch of new airlines, and 26 million by 2030 when it co-hosts the World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
The sector overcame some negative events, as the September earthquake that destroyed villages in the High Atlas Mountains caused minor damage in Marrakesh, one of the main destinations in Morocco, raising concerns about the region’s economy.
One of the tour operators in Marrakesh, Fawzi Al-Zamrani, said that business there recovered with the meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank that was held in the city last October, but it has declined since the start of the war on Gaza. He explained that there were cancellations and a sharp decline in reservations this winter.
Several hotels in Marrakesh said bookings for the New Year holiday season are below pre-pandemic levels.
This year, Morocco announced a three-year strategy to boost tourism with an investment of $600 million. He said last week that low-cost airline Ryanair could operate more routes to and within Morocco, and the tourism minister said Rabat was in talks with 20 other airlines to add routes.
President of the National Federation of the Hotel Industry, Lahcen Zalmat, said that Morocco must attract tourists from Latin America and Asia to boost the sector.
The Minister of Tourism said that while 70% of incoming tourists are European, the ministry plans to boost the number of tourists coming from China, Japan, India and the Middle East.
