Morocco Tourism Sees Record Visitor Numbers Despite Falling Revenue

"In terms of arrivals, the main source markets have been recording unprecedented performance for several months. Last March, Germany grew by 55%, Belgium by 32%, Italy by 29%, the United Kingdom by 20%, Spain by 19%, France by 12%, and the Netherlands by 8%. On the other hand, the United States declined by 16%," explains Zoubir Bouhoute, director of the Provincial Tourism Council of Ouarzazate, to Médias24.

Analyzing these figures, the specialist notes that the arrivals of foreign tourists on stay (TES) exceed those of Moroccans residing abroad (MRE), recalling that the trend was reversed at the end of December 2023, with the arrival of 51% of MRE and 49% of foreign tourists. From January to March 2024, Morocco recorded the arrival of 50% of MRE and 50% of TES in January, 47% of MRE and 53% of TES in February, and 45% of MRE and 55% of TES in March.

The expert in tourist flows adds that "if this dynamic is confirmed and we manage to gain an additional point each month, we could easily reach 60% of foreign arrivals against 40% of Moroccans residing abroad by the end of the current year," recalling that MRE arrivals have always exceeded those of TES during the summer season (Marhaba Operation).

However, Zoubir Bouhoute notes a decline in foreign exchange earnings since July 2023, a situation he attributes to the growing competition from informal rentals like Airbnb and the economic crisis in Europe. In January, these revenues fell by 11% compared to the same period in 2023, and by 2.7% in February. This year, revenues should reach 100 billion dirhams against 105 billion in 2023. However, they could improve if the Office des Changes manages to integrate the undeclared revenues from the rental sector, he concluded.