Morocco’s tourism revenues increased by 1.6% in the first five months of 2024, following a 4.2% decline in the first quarter, according to the Economy and Finance Ministry’s Department of Economic Studies and Financial Forecast (DEPF).
“Tourism revenues saw a notable recovery, rising by 10.9% during the first two months of Q2 of 2024. This brought the overall growth to 1.6% by the end of May, reversing the 4.2% drop observed in Q1,” DEPF pointed out in its latest economic report.
The number of overnight stays in hotels also surged by 15% during the first two months of Q2, after a more modest 2.9% increase in Q1 of 2024.
The overall volume of overnight stays grew by 8.3% over the first five months of 2024, bolstered by a 13% increase in stays by non-residents.
Arrivals to Morocco exceeded 7.4 million by the end of H1 of 2024, representing a 13.9% increase from the previous year.
This growth was driven by a 16.3% rise in foreign tourist arrivals, who accounted for 54.2% of the total. Moroccan expatriates also contributed to the increase, with an 11.2% rise in arrivals, making up 45.8% of the total.
In Q2, more than 4.1 million arrivals were recorded at Morocco’s border posts, marking a 14.8% increase, following a 12.8% rise in Q1. The increase was attributed to a 17.1% rise in foreign tourist arrivals and a 12.3% rise in Moroccan expatriate arrivals, compared to 15.4% and 9.8% respectively at the end of March 2024.
Following a remarkable 55.8% growth in Q1 of 2023, the tourism sector’s added value improved by 1.9% in Q1 of 2024. The growth trend is expected to accelerate in Q2, supported by the strong performance of all sector indicators during this period.