Morocco Tourism Rebounds After Earthquake, Officials Remain Optimistic

Several tourists have canceled their trips to Morocco after the earthquake. But these cancellations do not significantly affect the tourism sector, which represents 7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 5% of the active population. "Cancellations have remained below our expectations. We are optimistic and confident in our year-end forecasts," said Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, recalling that according to forecasts before the earthquake, 14 million tourists should visit the kingdom by the end of the year.

During the first seven months of 2023, some 8.6 million tourists visited Morocco, an increase of 15% compared to the same period in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, Ammor continued, specifying that tourism revenues from January to September 2023 were $5.6 billion, or 38% more than the same period in 2019.

Tourism in Marrakech has "suffered a slight blow" after the earthquake, acknowledged James Wix, director of the Le Farnatchi hotel, announcing the closure of the establishment until the end of this October to rehabilitate the building which has suffered some "superficial damage". "We didn’t have as many cancellations for the months of November and December. I hope the situation will normalize by then, but it’s impossible to say for the moment," Wix hopes, noting that the IMF and World Bank’s annual meetings, scheduled in Marrakech from October 9 to 15, will boost tourism.

The French and Spanish are at the top of the tourists visiting Morocco. But more and more Israelis are coming to Morocco since the two countries normalized their relations in 2020 and established direct flights. "We have launched an e-visa that has facilitated things for them and for tourists from 40 other EU countries who do not need a visa to visit the country," Ammor explains. The government will inject 6.1 billion dirhams (about $600 million) to revive the sector hard hit by the health crisis. Objective, attract 17.5 million tourists by the end of 2026, create 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, and increase the sector’s annual revenues to $12 billion.