Morocco’s Tourism Plummets: 92% Drop in Foreign Visitors, 59% Decline in Expat Arrivals

According to the economic note published by the Directorate of the Treasury and External Finance (DTFE), tourist arrivals at Moroccan border posts fell by 79.8% in the fourth quarter of 2020. Hotel nights also fell by 72.4%, the same note points out, noting that Morocco has lost 92% of its foreign tourists and 59% of [Moroccans Residing Abroad (MRE)].

Similarly, the note details "the nights spent in classified hotels fell by 82.6%, the result of declines of 94% for non-residents and 52.3% for residents".

"The tourism sector has been heavily affected by the effects of the health crisis and the restrictive measures put in place by the authorities to curb the Covid-19 pandemic," the note states.

But despite the measures deployed to mitigate the shock of the coronavirus health crisis, the suspension of all international passenger flights and maritime links to and from Moroccan territory, as well as the declaration of the state of health emergency, have led to a near-total halt in tourism activity.