Morocco Welcomes Over 14 Million Tourists in Eight Months, August Hits Record

On Sep 5, 2026

Marrakech – Morocco received 14.1 million tourists during the first eight months of 2026, up from roughly 13.5 million over the same period in 2025, a 4.5% increase that translates into nearly 608,000 additional arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

August drove much of that performance. For the first time, the North African kingdom welcomed more than 2 million tourists in a single month, up 3% from August 2025. The ministry described the figure as confirmation of a strong summer season and steady visitor traffic.

The summer results extended a favorable trend that had taken shape earlier in the year. By the end of June, Morocco had already received close to 9.4 million visitors, a 6% rise year-on-year, based on data from the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF).

Several strategic source markets fueled the growth. Through the end of June, arrivals from France climbed 9%, Germany 14%, Belgium 9%, and the Netherlands 10%. Poland posted the sharpest increase at 32%, ahead of the United States at 9%, Italy at 6%, and the United Kingdom at 4%.

The stronger flows carried over into accommodation. Overnight stays in classified tourist establishments rose 9% year-on-year at the end of June, easing from the 12% gain registered in the same period of 2025.

Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor tied the momentum to the government’s 2023-2026 Tourism Roadmap. The dynamic of Moroccan tourism “is durably built on solid foundations,” she argued, noting that the roadmap has shown that “when investment is targeted at key levers, results follow,” both in terms of tourist arrivals and socioeconomic impact.

Ammor also pointed to room for further expansion. “The potential remains considerable,” she remarked, adding that the next phase should allow the country to multiply those gains and spread them across more territories and sector players.

The roadmap was built as the first stage toward a larger objective. Morocco has set an official target of 26 million tourists a year by 2030, an ambition the ministry frames as a way to rank the country among the world’s 15 leading destinations while lifting the sector’s contribution to growth and employment.

The plan concentrated on expanding air connectivity, strengthening promotion and distribution, increasing and upgrading accommodation capacity, encouraging investment in tourism entertainment, and improving the visitor experience.

The 2023-2026 strategy initially aimed for 17.5 million visitors, 200,000 new jobs, and MAD 120 billion ($12 billion) in foreign-exchange tourism receipts by 2026. Morocco had already welcomed nearly 20 million tourists in 2025, moving ahead of the roadmap’s original arrivals target.

Authorities are now focused on sustaining that pace toward 2030, the year of the World Cup. The plan calls for greater air connectivity, diversification into markets including China, India, and Latin America, expanded maritime and cruise links, hotel investment and modernization, and more digital and data-driven promotion.

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