Morocco’s tourism revenues up 8% by end of May

RABAT - The Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, stated on Tuesday at the House of Councillors that the tourism sector generated MAD 34 billion in foreign currency revenues during the first five months of this year, marking an 8% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

In response to an oral question on the "promotion of tourism in the southern provinces," Ammor noted that the number of overnight stays reached 11.8 million by the end of May, a 13% increase, while the number of tourists who visited the Kingdom stood at 7.2 million (+22% year-on-year).

Regarding domestic tourism, the Minister reported nearly 3 million overnight stays in the first five months of 2025, up 4% compared to the end of May 2024. She emphasized that this growth was made possible by government investments in this vital sector of the national economy.

Ammor also affirmed that her department is continuing the implementation of the 2023–2026 strategic roadmap for the tourism sector, backed by a MAD 6 billion budget. The roadmap includes several key initiatives, such as boosting tourism promotion and air transport, strengthening investment in tourist accommodation and entertainment, and developing 14 flagship projects that aim to revitalize tourism sectors across the regions.

The Minister further noted that the southern provinces, thanks to their promising tourism assets, are attracting increasing interest from both domestic and international tourists. This form of tourism has benefited from the strong momentum recorded nationwide.

In this regard, she underlined that the number of tourists who stayed in tourist accommodation establishments in the southern provinces reached around 80,000 by the end of May 2025, up 48% compared to 2019 (pre-Covid-19), while the number of overnight stays rose to around 195,000 (+49%).

Tourism in the southern provinces is supported by the 2023–2026 roadmap through several thematic niches, including "Desert & Oasis Adventure" offering new travel experiences, "Ocean Waves" for water sports enthusiasts, "Beach & Sun," and "Cultural Circuits" aimed at showcasing the intangible heritage of the southern provinces and transforming kasbahs into attractive tourist destinations, in addition to boosting domestic tourism, Ammor noted.

She also highlighted that air transport plays a key role in supporting tourism in these provinces, citing newly launched air routes such as "Madrid-Dakhla" and "Lanzarote-Dakhla."