A new study from BMI-Fitch Solutions expects sustained growth in tourist arrivals in Morocco in 2024. These positive prospects are expected to continue until 2028. The study also underlines the importance for the tourism sector to seize growth opportunities beyond traditional markets.
The Moroccan tourism sector displays positive prospects in the short and medium terms. The strong growth in arrivals is expected to continue this year, with a 15.3% annual increase in tourist numbers to 16.8 million. A new record! This is according to a new study from BMI-Fitch Solutions, an independent provider of country and sector risk analysis. This growth will be driven by traditional European markets. Moreover, France would be the main tourist source market for Morocco in 2014, with an estimate of 4.5 million arrivals (or 26.9% of total tourists). It will be followed by Spain with 2.4 million arrivals (14.3% of the total) and Belgium with 931,290 people (5.6% of the total). Italy and Germany will respectively occupy fourth and fifth place as source markets for tourists to Morocco, with shares of 5.5% and 4.4% in total arrivals. This distribution of source markets is consistent with that of 2023, as well as with the pre-pandemic trend of 2019.
According to BMI, arrivals in Morocco will continue to grow until 2028, with an average annual growth of 6.2% to approach 20 million tourists (19.6 million). For the top five source markets, France will retain its first place with an estimate of 5.2 million arrivals (26.8% of the total). It will be followed by Spain with 2.8 million arrivals (14.2% of the total). Italy is expected to move to third place in 2024, with an estimated 1.12 million arrivals (5.7% of the total), while Belgium will occupy fourth place with 1.09 million tourists (5.6% of the total). Germany will complete the top five with 858,840 arrivals (4.4% of the total) in 2028. “Morocco remains a popular destination for European tourists, particularly because of its warmer climate which makes it an attractive destination during the colder months in Europe. Although high living costs and tighter credit conditions in Europe may dampen consumer spending, affordable travel options in Morocco will continue to drive demand. The availability of low-cost direct flights between Europe and Morocco also facilitates travel, thus supporting the increase in tourist arrivals from the main source markets,” details the study. In addition, the country’s rich and varied tourist offer attracts tourists beyond Europe. This offer includes culture, gastronomy, historical sites, beaches along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. “We are convinced that the appeal of the Moroccan tourist offer goes far beyond the borders of Europe, thus offering the country an opportunity to diversify its sources of tourism and expand its clientele on the international market in the years to come. On April 29, 2024, the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism unveiled its ambitious objective of attracting 1.5 million business travelers in 2026, thus part of its overall strategy aimed at increasing arrivals in the market,” underlines the study. To this end, BMI-Fitch Solutions experts believe that the markets of the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region could further stimulate the growth of the Moroccan tourism sector in the medium term. This would require marketing and promotional activities to raise awareness among consumers in this region. These efforts are also expected to be accompanied by partnerships with airlines to increase the number of flights between the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets. Revisions to the visa regime such as the introduction of electronic visas, visas on arrival and visa waiver for short-term stays would also support the reduction of entry barriers, making Morocco more accessible and welcoming for travelers.
