Morocco’s Tourism Boom Seems to Have No End in Sight

Not even the earth tremors in September that left nearly 3,000 dead have been able to slow down the exponential growth of Morocco’s tourism sector. The holiday tourism sector owes its success to the achievements of the government’s reforms. The “Land of Light” strategy aimed at illuminating the North African country’s tourism potential and improving its global position has been the administration’s flagship element. 

Morocco has long implemented the ‘Land of Light’ campaign, whereby the country invested more in tourism and promoted the sector through strong advertising campaigns that had a global impact. This includes the air transport sector, which is important for connecting the country with other destinations and encouraging the arrival of travellers from all over the world. 

“We are on track to achieve a record year with a target of attracting 14 million tourists,” said Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Fatima Zahra Ammor, noting that the achievement reflects the country’s desire to diversify its key markets. Morocco’s tourism success in September, initially considered a record month with 960,000 tourists, signalled for some a continued upward trajectory. 

The tourism sector is one of the most important sectors of the country’s economy and contributes to Morocco’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and labour market. With more than half a million workers in the tourism sector, the Kingdom employs around 15% of the working population. 

“It is crucial to communicate to the world that the situation is more than under control, that we are back to normal life. In terms of arrivals, we have been monitoring bookings and cancellations and, frankly, we have been doing quite well. It was also great that tourists who were in Morocco at the time started to share on social media their testimonies about the real situation, which helped a lot to convey what Marrakech is all about,” Fatima Zahra Ammor told Euronews, referring to what happened after the nation’s terrible earthquake.

There has been great concern in recent years as the global tourism industry has shown a downward trend due to regulations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic slowdown that was further worsened by the war between Ukraine and Russia. The earthquake that struck the Al-Haouz region on 8 September caused further concern near Marrakech, one of the country’s main tourist destinations. However, the sector seems to be doing well and is still on the way to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Marrakech offers great cultural monuments: Jemaa El Fna, Gardens Square or Menara Garden, Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace or Mamouniya Palace, Marrakech Museum or Dar Si Said Museum. According to the recent study published by Booking, Spaniards chose the city of Marrakech as their favourite destination to visit in 2024, followed by Bangkok and Edinburgh. The great gastronomic variety and the interest in Moroccan culture is what, according to the study, attracts more than 64% of Spaniards.  

Moroccan culture not only dazzles Spanish tourists, but more than half of French tourists “want to” or “have visited” the Kingdom during their days off. One of the terms that best defines how European tourists feel about the North African country is that it is a “must visit”. It is a perfect combination of past historical traditions and modernity. Wonderful attractions such as the Hassan Tower, Kasbah Udayas, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the important Medina or the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art captivate visitors.  

Source : Atalayar