Rabat’s tourist numbers are rising fast, but Marrakech remains far ahead
A journalist with the Emirati daily The National is struck by how few tourists Rabat attracts compared with Marrakech. Official figures confirm a considerable gap between the two regions, even as tourist numbers are growing much faster around the capital.
A glass of pomegranate juice for 10 dirhams, shopkeepers more interested in talking football than making a sale, and a city where you can stroll in peace. In a report published on November 5, Alexander Christou, a journalist with The National, recounts his discovery of Rabat. Charmed by the Moroccan capital, he struggles to understand why visitors overwhelmingly prefer Marrakech.
On Bladi.net : Why Rabat is dethroning Marrakech in the hearts of travelers
The latest figures from the High Commission for Planning show the scale of the gap. In 2025, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region recorded 1,681 million tourist overnight stays, compared with 16,588 million in Marrakech-Safi, nearly ten times fewer. The figures cover classified tourist establishments in each of the two administrative regions.
But the trend is different. Overnight stays rose by 15% in the Rabat region between 2024 and 2025, compared with just 3.5% in Marrakech. The capital and its surroundings thus posted growth more than four times higher, while still recording a markedly lower volume of activity.
What surprises the foreign journalist in Rabat
During his two days in the city, Alexander Christou visits the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the ruins of Chellah and the Kasbah of the Udayas. In the medina, he particularly enjoys the atmosphere of the markets, where the shopkeepers seem less pushy than elsewhere. He also describes the gardens and broad, tree-lined avenues that give the capital its peaceful character.
The journalist also stops at The English Bookshop, a bookstore run by Mohammed Belhaj since 1985. Caught by a downpour, he takes shelter there and leaves with a novel recommended by the bookseller. His itinerary continues at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, before a visit to the observation deck of the Mohammed VI Tower, which costs 250 dirhams to access.
On Bladi.net : Mohammed VI Tower in Rabat: Here’s the admission price
The figures reveal another detail: despite its slower growth, Marrakech-Safi added 555,000 overnight stays in 2025, compared with 219,000 in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra. In absolute terms, the gap between the two regions widened by a further 336,000 overnight stays in one year.
