The Moroccan tourism sector is having a “steady” growth of 5% on year, according to Adel El Fakir, Director General of the Moroccan National Office of Tourism (ONMT).
“Since the revival of flights last February, the numbers show that we are back to 70% of our 2019 performance,” Fakir said at a travel conference in Marrakech this week.
Fakir added, that Morocco received about 13 million arrivals in 2019, while attributing the large flow of tourists to the country’s ease the access to European markets and the diversity of what the country offers.
While the COVID-19 pandemic presents a challenge to the livelihoods of 500,000 workers in Morocco’s tourism sector, Poor people sees “the coronavirus crisis was an opportunity for the country.”
Adel El Fakir explained, “The pandemic has given tourism operators time to revise their ambitions and prepare for a strong relaunch, adding that the aid received from the Moroccan government is important.”
Morocco in particular launched several campaigns and partnerships following the reopening of the border on February 7, targeting both domestic and international tourists.