Morocco Tourism Surges 6.6% in First Half of 2019, Boosting Economy

In total, 5.4 million tourists visited Morocco in the first half of 2019, a figure up 6.6% compared to that recorded in the first six months of 2018 (5.1 million), reveals the Tourism Observatory.

Foreign exchange "Travel" receipts reached 32.7 billion dirhams at the end of June, an increase of 4.2% compared to the first half of 2018, according to the same source.

Similarly, arrivals of foreign tourists increased by 6.2% in the first half of 2019. Indeed, the main source markets experienced significant increases, in particular Italy (+12%), France (+9%), Spain (+8%), Germany (+8%), the Netherlands (+7%), Belgium (+6%) and the United Kingdom (+6%).

As for the arrivals of Moroccans residing abroad (MREs), they increased by 7.1% over the same period.

The total overnight stays recorded in classified tourist accommodation establishments increased by 5% compared to the same period in 2018 (+4.3% for non-resident tourists in Morocco and +8.5% for locals).

Marrakech and Agadir account for 58% of the total overnight stays recorded in the first half of 2019, with respective rates of +8% and +4%. As for Tangier and Fez, the respective increases are 11% and 4%.