Moroccan Tourism Sector on the Rise: Report

(MENAFN- Morocco World News) Casablanca – In January 2017, overseas visitor arrivals at border posts increased by 10% relative to the same period of the previous year.

Foreign tourists and Moroccans living abroad arrivals jumped by 13% and 7% year-on-year respectively.

Visits from main EU markets were higher than January 2016: +13% for Spain, +8% for Germany and the Netherlands and +6% for France and Belgium.

Furthermore, figures from the other markets show very encouraging signs: +1350% for China, +29% for the U.S., +41% for South Korea, +84% for Russia and +55% for Japan.

Total visitor arrivals at border posts grew from January 2010 to January 2017 at a CAGR of 2.2% thanks to both foreign tourists arrivals which increased by a CAGR of 3.4%, and Moroccans living abroad arrivals which rose by a CAGR of 3% in the same period.

As far as overnight stays are concerned, they leaped by 11% driven by a 21% increase in overnight stays by non-resident tourists which counterbalanced an 8% plunge in overnights stays by resident tourists.

The cities of Agadir, Casablanca and Marrakech accounted for 72% of total overnights stays in January.

Agadir, Casablanca and Marrakech overnight stays increased by 20%, 7% and 6% respectively.

Both Fes and Tangier overnight stays soared by 27% in the same period. Henceforth, occupancy rate rose by 2pts to 34%.

For the period 2010-2017, overnight stays by non-resident tourists increased by a CAGR of 1.7%. Occupancy rate stood at 34% in 2010 as well.

Regarding travel receipts, they also rose by 2.9% to stand at MAD 4 billion.

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