Record tourist arrivals in Morocco in first quarter of 2023

Morocco has recorded a record number of arrivals in the first quarter of 2023, with the latest figures from the tourism ministry showing it attracted 2.9 million tourists in the three-month period.

“Tourism in Morocco continues its rise to levels never seen before, as evidenced by the exceptional figures recorded at the end of March 2023,” the tourism ministry said in its statement.

The figures represent an increase of 17 per cent compared to the first quarter of pre-Covid 2019. Almost two million people visited Morocco in February alone, a whopping 464 per cent rise over the same period in 2022.

Data compiled by the Ministry of Tourism, Handicraft, and Social and Solidarity Economy attributes the upward trend to the growth in outbound tourism markets, including in Spain, Britain, Italy, and the United States.

The ministry has plans to boost tourism with a new roadmap, launched on 17 March, which it hopes will attract 17.5 million tourists and create 200,000 new jobs by 2026.

Building on various initiatives it has carried out with the National Tourism Office (ONMT) to boost tourism, the ministry has vowed to redouble efforts towards improving marketing and reinforcing air connectivity throughout 2023.

ONMT seeks to position Morocco among the world's Top 10 destinations through its newly developed 2023-2026 action plan called “Light in Action”.