After record breaking summer, how can Morocco keep up with booming tourism sector ?

Morocco’s tourism sector continues to thrive, with a record-breaking 10 million tourists visiting the country by the end of July 2024. 

July alone witnessed a surge in tourism, with 2.6 million visitors. The cumulative number of tourists for the first seven months of 2024 reached a new milestone, surpassing 10 million.

Mohamed Jedri, an economist, told Hespress EN that Morocco heavily relies on the tourism sector to fuel economic growth, generate wealth, and create employment opportunities, particularly for young people. 

“The country is on the verge of achieving two ambitious goals: attracting 17 million tourists by 2026, a target that may be reached as early as the end of 2024 or the following year, and subsequently aiming for 30 million tourists,” Jedri explained. 

To support this growth, Morocco plans to create 200,000 new jobs by 2026. This trajector indicates that Morocco is on the right track, especially after the government implemented measures following the pandemic. 

These measures included direct support for industry stakeholders, investments of MAd 2 billion, the signing of numerous contracts and partnerships, and the opening of Moroccan airspace to a variety of airlines.

While Morocco has made significant strides in terms of the number of tourists, there is still room for improvement in terms of quality, says the expert. 

“The country’s repeat visitor rate remains below the global average, suggesting that Morocco needs to enhance the quality of its tourism services, including transportation, market interactions, and hotel experiences,” Jedri said. 

Another challenge is that the significant increase in tourist numbers has not necessarily led to a proportional increase in tourism revenue. 

Between 2000 and 2010, the average foreign tourist in Morocco spent more than MAD7,379 dirhams, but this figure dropped to 5,766 between 2010 and 2019. Last year, tourist spending fell even further to MAD 5,613. 

Despite this decline in foreign tourist spending, prices for tourism services and accommodations in Morocco have skyrocketed.

The Moroccan opposition has criticized the government’s handling of the tourism sector, accusing it of failing to regulate prices and promote lesser-known destinations. 

While some institutions and tourism agencies have adhered to legal guidelines, the majority of citizens have encountered a chaotic pricing situation in tourist accommodations and related services. 

This disorder, compounded by a steep rise in consumer goods prices in popular tourist areas, has strained the financial resources of many families, clearly violating the law.

According to the opposition, the tourist accommodation rental market has been rife with scams, with many households falling victim due to the government’s failure to provide sufficient oversight.

Another challenge in the tourism sector is the overcrowding of popular tourist areas, which undermines the vacation experience. 

While recognizing people’s freedom to choose their destinations, the opposition criticized the government’s lack of effort in promoting less-known areas with high potential.