Morocco has wtinessed a 22 pc jump in foreign tourists by the end of this year’s October, surpassing in just 10 months, the record for the entire year 2023. This was announced by Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicraft, and Social and Solidarity Economy, at an event earlier this week.

According to a press statement by Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT), Anmor said that this exceptional performance was achieved thanks to the effective implementation of the tourism roadmap for 2023-2026.

The statement adds that Ammor made the remarks during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) and Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair on the launch of two new direct air routes connecting Dakhla in southern Morocco, about 1800 km southwest of the capital Rabat, to Madrid in Spain and to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The two flights will commence from January 2025.

According to the statement, total number of tourists in Morocco, including both domestic and foreign, rose by 19 pc compared to the same period in 2023, or 2.3 million additional arrivals, Anmor added, noting that this remarkable growth was driven by both foreign tourists, up 22 pc, with 1.3 million additional foreign nationals and 16 pc rise in number of Moroccan expatriates visiting the country, translating in 1 million additional trips by the expats.

The performance in October 2024 was particularly good, with some 1.5 million tourists welcomed, representing an exceptional increase of 30 pc compared to October 2023, she added.

The statement adds that with these extraordinary figures, Morocco is more than ever asserting its position as a must-see destination internationally. Anmor said that the North African Kingdom’s regions offer a mosaic of unique experiences, which continue to amaze travellers from all over the world.

Dhakla is well-known for its natural beauty (Photo: ONMT)

She also highlighted the steady development of Dakhla’s touristic offer, recording 250,000 overnight stays last September, an increase of 26 pc, and a hotel occupancy rate of 40 pc, up 7 points. As for air traffic in Dakhla, it saw a 30 pc increase in air seats, or 31,000 air seats in 2024, she added.

In this vein, the Minister stated that Dakhla welcomes three weekly flights from Paris, with one flight operated by Royal Air Maroc and two flights by Transavia, in addition to two weekly flights from Las Palmas by Binter Canaria.

Ammor also announced that starting January 2025, two new direct air routes connecting Dakhla to Madrid in Spain and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands will be operational, with two frequencies per week. These new routes will add some 16,000 additional airline seats, increasing capacity by 50 pc, she added.

Fatim-Zahra Anmor

“This expansion is a game-changer for Dakhla, which is fast becoming a world-class water sports paradise. With Ryanair, we are well on our way to achieving our ambitious goal of four international flight connections for Dakhla within two years.  And the cherry on top? While in Dakhla, I received incredible news that Morocco has welcomed 14.6 million tourists in just the first 10 months of 2024, surpassing last year’s total arrivals,’’ Anmor said.