Morocco's tourism sector declines compared to pre-pandemic levels

The number of tourists visiting Morocco dropped by 71.2% in February, compared to the pre-pandemic period at the end of 2019, said the Ministry of Economy and Finance, according to MAP.

The number of tourists visiting Morocco increased by 34% at the end of 2021, up compared to a drop of 78.5% recorded a year ago.

During the fourth quarter of 2021, the number of visitors increased year-on-year by 61.1%, after witnessing a decline of 79.8% in the previous year.

The number of foreign tourists increased by 209.3%, representing 47.5% of total arrivals, after 25% in the fourth quarter of 2020, and 63% in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The number of Moroccans residing abroad increased by 12.4%, after a decline of 59% in the previous year.

Overnights in accommodation establishments increased by 51.1% in December, despite the closure of air borders, due to the emergence of the Omicron variant nationwide.

By the end of 2021, overnights increased by 31.8% compared to 2020, and down by 63.6% compared to the pre-pandemic period by the end of 2019.

Following the closure of air borders by the end of November, tourism revenue declined by 6.9% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2021, after increasing by 203.2% in the third quarter of the same year.

These revenues totaled MAD 34.3 billion by the end of 2021, a decrease of 6% compared to the end of 2020, and a drop of 56.5% compared to the end of 2019, with total revenue of MAD44.5 billion.

The Ministry’s Directorate of Financial Studies and Forecasts said the tourism sector began rebounding from the negative effects of the pandemic, while results remain far from the pre-pandemic level in 2019.

Recently, the Ministry of Tourism opened channels to identify tourism establishments eligible to receive MAD 1 billion in financial assistance, in a move to boost tourism services nationwide.

The government also approved a prior emergency plan worth MAD2 billion to support the tourism sector as a means to bounce back from the negative effects of the pandemic.

Among the ministry’s goals was to save businesses, prevent job losses, and prepare for a sector revival after 22 months of the health crisis.