Morocco has witnessed a significant increase in number of tourists visiting the country, with the GCC performing as a key market.
The total number of tourists who visited Morocco in March this year was 762,562, an increase of 3.7% compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy. This increase was underpinned by the surge of the GCC tourists visiting Morocco during the same period.
Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort director of communications and public relations Khadija El Idrissi stated that the increase in GCC tourist numbers was mainly due to the higher spending power of GCC families as well as the number of persons in each family.
Tourism remains a vital pillar of the Moroccan economy and the country’s second biggest employer, after agriculture. The sector accounts for 10% of national income and, along with exports and remittances from Moroccans overseas; it is one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency. A record number of 10.4 million tourists visited the kingdom in 2016 and the government is confident that the positive momentum will continue in years to come.
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The growing trend by Muslims to travel during the fasting period will see destinations in the Middle East region become the most attractive by 2023 according to data and analysis from the inaugural MasterCard-Crescent Rating Ramadan Travel Report 2016.
A total of 50 destinations across the globe were analysed in the study and benchmarked across three criteria – average daytime temperature, fasting duration and Global Muslim Travel Index 2016 scores – over the next 15 years until 2030. With Ramadan set to take place in cooler months from 2023, destinations as Morocco would lead the tourism industry.
“Over the past few years, Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort has stepped up its efforts to grow the number of GCC tourists visiting the country,” added El Idrissi.
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