According to recent figures published by the Tourism Observatory, Morocco recorded, during the first quarter of 2023, a growth of 92% in tourist arrivals, totaling nearly 6.5 million visitors. While some are optimistic about this recovery, others consider that there is still a way to go to guarantee the tourism promotion of other regions of the Kingdom.
Since the dark cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic has more or less passed, officials have closely observed the evolution of tourist activity in Morocco. Today, the machine is well and truly restarted. In fact, recent figures published by the Tourism Observatory suggest a good recovery in the sector. In detail, the first quarter of 2023 recorded a remarkable 92% increase in tourist arrivals, totaling around 6.5 million visitors, an increase of more than 3 million compared to the same period in 2022. Furthermore, for the month of June 2023 alone, the volume of tourist arrivals at border posts reached around 1.4 million tourists, a strong growth of 20% compared to June 2022. For Zouhir Bouhout, tourism expert, the substantial increase of 92% in the number of arrivals during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 testifies to the sustained attractiveness of the Moroccan destination for travelers. “When we approach the comparison with the previous year, it is crucial to take into account the exceptional circumstances of 2022. The staggered openings of borders in February and April for air and sea travel, as well as the constraints linked to PCR tests and the vaccination pass until May, had a considerable influence on travel flows, thus complicating any direct comparison.” And to continue: “The in-depth analysis of statistics from the Tourism Observatory reveals that between the first half of 2019, totaling 5.4 million arrivals, and the first half of 2023, with 6.5 million arrivals, an increase of 1.1 million arrivals was recorded.” Results from the main source markets However, the expert affirms that more than a million additional arrivals come from Moroccans living abroad (MRE), whose number increased from 2,040 million in 2019 to 3,060 million in 2023, marking a significant increase of 50%. In comparison, the increase in arrivals of foreign tourists staying is more modest, with almost 80,000 additional arrivals, or only (+2%). “These developments contributed to an overall increase in overnight stays of only 2%, going from 11,463,149 in 2019 to 11,703,414 in 2023. Notably, this increase in overnight stays mainly results from the growth in overnight stays linked to domestic tourism (+11%), while overnight stays from foreign tourists fell by 1%,” he says. According to the Tourism Observatory, the main markets contributing to this performance during this month are Spain with 14,000 tourists (+13%), followed by France with 13,000 tourists, the United Kingdom with 11,000 tourists (+27%), the United States with 6,364 tourists (+20%) and Portugal with 4,037 tourists (+35%). On the other hand, the same source indicates that the main markets which recorded negative results are Belgium with less than 2,000 tourists and Israel with a drop of 22%, or less than 1,500 tourists welcomed in the Kingdom. Convergence of forces For Mohamed Semlali, president of the National Federation of Associations of Travel Agencies of Morocco (FNAVM), the tourism industry in Morocco has moved from amateurism to professionalization. Indeed, the Moroccan destination currently represents a brand in its own right. And this, in particular to the efforts made by the various stakeholders with a view to raising the national tourism offer to a higher level. “If tourists come more and more to our country it is to discover the riches and potential that the Kingdom has. Tourism in Morocco should not be concentrated only in Marrakech, Agadir and Tangier. It is time for all regions to be highlighted, thanks to real involvement on the part of elected officials who must work hand in hand to attract more tourists. To support these changes, air travel would need to follow, which RAM aims to respond to by doubling its aircraft capacity by 2025,” underlines the president of the FNAVM. The latter also emphasizes the importance of inter-professional solidarity between travel agencies, tourist guides, hoteliers, tourist transporters, tourist restaurateurs, etc. The aim is to work collectively for the development of national tourism. Similarly, Zouhir Bouhout declares that “this ‘slight recovery’ has not benefited all Moroccan tourist destinations. At the end of the first half, Marrakech and Tangier recorded positive growth, both in terms of arrivals and overnight stays (respectively +10% in arrivals and overnight stays for Marrakech, +3% and +9% respectively in arrivals and overnight stays for Tangier). On the other hand, Agadir recorded an increase only in arrivals +3%, associated with a decrease of 9% in overnight stays (potentially due to the decline in the German market). Casablanca experienced a decline in both arrivals (-12%) and overnight stays (-9%), while Ouarzazate continues to face marked declines, with a reduction of 30% in arrivals and 19% in overnight stays. What about airports? The city of the Strait has indeed experienced a significant influx during the summer period, a good number of visitors, both Moroccan and foreign, went there to spend their vacations. In this case, one of its large hotels continues to be fully booked since the beginning of this summer. “Our hotel was very successful this summer. In fact, guests from all over the world have stayed there for several days. For example, Moroccan Jews who came to celebrate weddings or religious holidays have even privatized the hotel on many occasions to benefit from exclusive services. We have also received customers from the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The hotel was sold out during the first three weeks of August,” says Salwa Sbai, reservation manager at the said hotel. Furthermore, with regard to the Kingdom’s airports, those of Marrakech Menara, Mohammed V, Agadir Al Massira and Tangier Ibn Battouta recorded a total of 656 thousand tourists, or 48% of total tourist arrivals. These four airports experienced positive results compared to June 2022. This is growth of respectively 18% and 9% for Marrakech Ménara and Mohammed V, stagnation for Agadir Al Massira and an increase of 15% for Tangier Ibn Battouta, specifies the Observatory.
source: fnh.ma
