Marrakech, November 29, 2025 – The Europe Today: Morocco’s tourism sector has reached a new milestone, posting one of its strongest performances to date. Travel revenues climbed to MAD 113.26 billion ($11.3 billion) in the first ten months of 2025, surpassing the Kingdom’s full-year earnings for 2024 and marking a 16.7% increase year-on-year from MAD 97.04 billion ($9.7 billion) recorded over the same period last year.
According to data released by the Office of Foreign Exchange, tourism expenditures rose by 11.5% to MAD 27.54 billion ($2.75 billion). This resulted in an improved travel balance surplus of MAD 85.71 billion ($8.57 billion), representing an 18.5% increase compared to 2024 figures.
The surge in revenues was supported by a notable rise in tourist arrivals. Morocco welcomed 16.6 million visitors between January and October 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year, Minister of Tourism Fatim-Zahra Ammor confirmed. This robust performance has placed the Kingdom among the world’s top 20 most dynamic destinations, ranking 13th globally according to UN Tourism.
To accommodate growing demand, Morocco has added 43,000 new hotel beds since 2023, significantly expanding its accommodation capacity across key destinations.
Context of Recent Growth
The achievements of 2025 build upon a record-breaking year in 2024, when tourism revenues reached MAD 112.5 billion ($11.25 billion), up 7.5% from MAD 104.7 billion ($10.47 billion) in 2023. Tourism expenditures also rose sharply in 2024, increasing 22.9% to MAD 29.4 billion ($2.94 billion), while maintaining a strong surplus of MAD 83.1 billion ($8.31 billion).
New Tourism Strategy and Global Promotion
Morocco’s tourism ambitions now extend beyond traditional visitor attraction. This month, the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) launched the “Morocco, Land of Football” campaign in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025.
Featuring national football stars Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, the campaign includes a 90-second promotional film airing across 12 countries. ONMT Director General Achraf Fayda stated that the initiative leverages the global appeal of football to position Morocco as a premier tourist destination.
The ONMT has also conducted European roadshows targeting African diaspora communities and hosted meetings with African tour operators to develop tailored AFCON tourism packages.
Tourism as a Strategic National Pillar
Morocco is increasingly positioning tourism as a strategic platform linking Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic. Beyond classic tourism circuits in Marrakech, Fez, and the Sahara, policymakers are framing the sector as a driver of soft power, regional leadership, and territorial development—particularly through emerging destinations such as Dakhla, Laayoune, and the Atlantic façade.
Future goals aim to transition Morocco from a seasonal, price-sensitive destination to a diversified tourism ecosystem featuring luxury travel, nature and adventure tourism, cultural and religious heritage routes, digital nomad offerings, and major international events, including AFCON 2025 and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In this broader vision, tourism integrates infrastructure, aviation, renewable energy, culture, and territorial planning into a unified narrative of a “modern Morocco”—a country rooted in history yet oriented toward global modernity.
Prospects and Challenges
As Morocco continues to enhance its international profile, the central challenge lies not only in achieving numerical growth but ensuring that tourism development remains socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and geopolitically aligned with national priorities.
Stakeholders emphasize that long-term success will depend on transforming visitors from passive tourists into ambassadors of Morocco’s evolving identity—one that is African and Mediterranean, historic and forward-looking, stable and dynamic in an increasingly turbulent regional landscape.
