The Tourism Observatory’s statistics for August have finally been released. Morocco received 1.8 million arrivals at border crossings, including 829,406 foreign tourists. France, Spain, and the United Kingdom remain the leading source countries, accounting for almost two-thirds of arrivals.
The U.S. market is beginning to show signs of recovery following a downturn since the start of the year. In August, Morocco’s 3-to-5 star establishments recorded almost 3.5 million overnight stays, up 5% on the same period in 2023. It was international tourism that saved the day in August, up 14% against a 6% decline for domestic tourism.
Per| city, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangiers fared best. The Ochre City recorded 976,548 overnight stays, followed by Agadir with 808,082. Casablanca maintained its performance, despite a slight drop of 3%, while Essaouira suffered an 8% decline in August. With 88,356 overnight stays, Al Haouz did well and ranked 7th, doing better than Rabat and Al Hoceima. Overall - from January to August - Morocco received 11.8 million tourists at its border crossings. It should be remembered that not all arrivals at the airport are tourists, as there are also Moroccans and residents returning from their travels. According to statistics from the Tourism Observatory, Morocco has received some 5.7 million foreign tourists since the beginning of the year to the end of August. This represents 13% growth compared with the same period in 2023. By contrast, the domestic market has seen a 4% decline since January. Over 60% of foreign tourists come from the three main markets: France, Spain and the UK. The latter is experiencing unprecedented growth, with 39% growth compared to the same period in 2023. The German market is also growing, but not enough in the eyes of professionals.
With growth of 29%, this market has risen from 176,526 to 227,621, ranking as Morocco’s 5th largest outbound market. In a recent interview with L’Economiste, TUI boss Sebastian Ebel stressed that “ it is not demand that’s lacking, but rather the products that Germans prefer, which don’t yet exist” (cf.leconomiste.com no. 6855 of September 30, 2024). On the accommodation front, 3-to-5 star establishments have recorded 18.7 million overnight stays since January. The occupancy rate has risen from 49 points to 50. ” This is certainly an improvement, but our aim is to go even further and achieve an occupancy rate of 60%, so as to be able to develop the business with peace of mind ”, says Hamid Bentahar, President of the CNT.
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