Dakhla Tourism Surges: Moroccan City Doubles Visitors Despite Pandemic Challenges

Responding to a question in parliament, the Minister of Tourism stated that the number of tourists in the establishments of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region has quadrupled between 2011 and 2019, with a 50% increase in European tourists. There has also been an increase in the quality of tourism investments of more than 46% in terms of 4-star categories and hotel clubs.

Fatima Zahra Ammor indicated that the number of overnight stays in classified hotels has increased from 44,000 in September 2020 to nearly 90,000 during the same period in 2021, an increase of nearly 101%. An influx of tourists means an increase in the number of passengers at the Dakhla airport. About 5,926 tourists were recorded during the first nine months of 2021 compared to 4,207 tourists during the same period in 2020.

Despite the good tourist season experienced in 2021, the ministry intends to continue the development of natural resources in the region in order to create a new tourist offer. The ministry has planned many other actions that will allow the region to recover further.