The Morocco welcomed nearly 4.2 million in the first half of 2016, down 2.6% compared to the same period of 2015, according to the Moroccan tourism observatory.
The number of foreign tourists fell by 5.6%, while visits by Moroccans living abroad increased by 1.7%, the observatory said, cited by the official MAP press agency. The number of French tourists fell by 5%.
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The two main tourist centers of the country remain Marrakech and Agadir. These cities located in the south of Morocco alone generated 59% of total overnight stays over the first six months of 2016, however recording decreases of 3% and 5% respectively.
Tourism affected by context regional
Like other countries in the region, Morocco suffers from the context international troubled and the drop in attendance of foreign tourists after deadly attacks, particularly in Tunisia and in Egypt.
Also read: Seven consequences of terrorism on global tourism
A key sector of the Moroccan economy, tourism is one of the main sources of currencies from the country, with exports and financial transfers from Moroccans living abroad.
Morocco has been spared attacks since 2011 and is leading a politics offensive security for prevent the terrorist risk with the Hadar (vigilance in Arabic) system, deployed since 2014 in all sensitive and tourist sites.
