Moroccan tourist operators are starting 2020 with the suspension of Royal Air Maroc’s direct Casablanca-Beijing route and tens of thousands of cancellations in the Chinese market, which has nevertheless seen significant growth for three years. But the constant increase, year after year, in arrivals in the kingdom allows them to remain reassured.
The Moroccan tourism observatory has published its figures for 2019. Activity is on the rise with a 5.2% jump in border arrivals (+5.4% for foreign tourists and +5% for Moroccans residing abroad).
In total, thirteen million tourists flocked to the borders of the kingdom. Tourists continue to arrive primarily from France, Spain, Italy and Germany, “but all markets are progressing,” rejoices Said Mouhid, president of the Tourism Observatory.
“Opening to the Russian and Chinese markets is the hope of continued sustained growth in the sector in the years to come,” explains Abdellatif Abouricha of the Marrakech Regional Tourism Center.
Boom of Chinese visitors
In 2016, a visa exemption for Chinese travelers was announced. It quickly proved its worth, allowing the number of tourists from China to multiply by more than ten the following year. From nearly 10,000 Chinese visitors welcomed in 2015, Morocco increased to 120,000 in 2017. There would have been around 150,000 in 2019.
source: jeuneafrique.com
