Casablanca – Morocco’s tourism sector continued to expand during the first half of 2026, with nearly 9.4 million visitors recorded by the end of June, representing a 6% increase compared with the same period of 2025. The latest figures show that the sector is benefiting from stronger demand across several international markets, rising accommodation activity and higher foreign-currency revenues. 

Data from the Directorate of Financial Studies and Forecasts indicate that Morocco attracted around 9.4 million visitors during the first six months of the year. The increase was supported by both traditional European markets and several international markets that have been growing at a faster pace. Germany recorded a 14% increase in arrivals, while France and Belgium each posted growth of 9%. Arrivals from the Netherlands increased by 10%, while Italy recorded a 6% rise. The British market grew by 4%, and visitors from the United States increased by 9%. Poland recorded the strongest increase among the markets cited in the latest figures, with arrivals rising by 32%. The sharp increase highlights the growing contribution of less traditional source markets to Morocco’s tourism activity. 

The continued growth in arrivals from European countries also indicates that Morocco is maintaining demand from its established tourism markets. France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom remain important sources of visitors, while the United States and Poland are adding to the diversity of international demand. 

The increase in visitor numbers was accompanied by higher activity in classified tourist accommodation establishments. Overnight stays rose by 9% by the end of June 2026, following an increase of 12% during the same period of 2025. 

The growth was recorded across a number of destinations, although the pace differed considerably between cities and regions. Ouarzazate registered the largest increase among the destinations cited, with overnight stays rising by 23%. Rabat followed with growth of 20%. 

Agadir and Casablanca each recorded an 11% increase in overnight stays, while Marrakech and Tangier posted growth of 10% each. Errachidia recorded a 9% rise, Al Haouz increased by 7%, and Fez and Essaouira each recorded growth of 6%. 

The figures point to a wider distribution of tourism activity across Morocco. Marrakech and Agadir continue to attract large numbers of visitors, but the stronger growth recorded in Ouarzazate and Rabat indicates that other destinations are also gaining from the expansion in demand. 

Marrakech remains one of the country’s largest tourism centers. During the first five months of 2026, classified accommodation establishments in the city recorded about 6.05 million overnight stays, an increase of 10% compared with the same period a year earlier. The city accounted for around 33% of national overnight stays in classified accommodation during that period. 

Marrakech’s average occupancy rate stood at 72% through May, compared with a national rate of 56%. Across Morocco, classified accommodation establishments recorded approximately 18.1 million overnight stays during the first five months, representing a 9% increase. The national occupancy rate was one percentage point higher than a year earlier. 

Tourism revenues also increased substantially during the first half of 2026. Travel receipts reached approximately $6.69 billion by the end of June, representing a 15.9% increase compared with the first six months of 2025. 

The rise in revenues was supported by strong growth during both quarters. Travel receipts increased by 23.5% during the first quarter and by 21.2% during the second quarter. 

The difference between the growth rates for visitor arrivals and tourism revenues is significant. Arrivals increased by 6%, while travel receipts rose by 15.9%. This indicates that the financial contribution generated by international travel increased more rapidly than the number of visitors. However, travel receipts can be influenced by several factors, including the length of stays, prices and tourist spending patterns. 

The positive trend continued into July. Travel receipts reached approximately $8.14 billion during the first seven months of 2026, representing a 13.4% increase compared with the same period in 2025. 

During the same period, travel spending by Moroccan residents abroad increased by 7.3%, reaching approximately $2.06 billion. The travel balance surplus stood at around $6.09 billion, representing a 15.7% increase compared with the same period a year earlier. 

The July figures indicate that the growth in tourism revenues continued into the early part of the second half of the year. With travel receipts reaching nearly $8.14 billion after seven months, tourism remained an important source of foreign-currency earnings for Morocco. 

Air connectivity has also played a role in supporting the increase in international tourism. Moroccan airports handled more than 22.28 million passengers during the first seven months of 2026, an increase of approximately 8.8% compared with the same period of 2025. 

International passenger traffic rose by a similar rate, while domestic traffic also recorded growth. European routes accounted for the largest share of international air traffic, with more than 16.5 million passengers during the period. 

Passenger traffic between Morocco and North America increased by more than 14%, while traffic with African destinations rose by more than 13%. These developments reflect continued expansion in Morocco’s international air connections. 

The country’s largest airports continued to handle the majority of passenger traffic. Casablanca Mohammed V recorded nearly 6.95 million passengers during the first seven months of the year, while Marrakech-Ménara handled approximately 6.41 million. Agadir-Al Massira recorded nearly 2.18 million passengers, followed by Tangier Ibn Batouta with about 1.71 million and Rabat-Salé with approximately 1.45 million. 

Airline capacity has also been expanding. During the summer 2026 season, Morocco had approximately 7.74 million contracted airline seats, representing an increase of 13% compared with the previous year. Fifty-two new international routes were introduced during the first half of the year. 

Additional routes can make Moroccan destinations more accessible to international travelers and may help distribute arrivals across several airports. Contracted capacity, however, does not automatically correspond to actual passenger numbers, since occupancy rates, cancellations, seasonal schedules and flight frequencies all affect final traffic. 

The continued growth of tourism is taking place as Morocco prepares for major international events and the 2030 World Cup. Investment in airports, accommodation, transportation and other tourism-related infrastructure is expected to increase the country’s capacity to receive visitors. 

The expansion also brings challenges. Rising visitor numbers increase pressure on transportation systems, accommodation, public spaces, water resources and cultural heritage sites. The ability to maintain service quality while handling larger volumes will therefore remain an important issue for the sector. 

The available indicators measure different parts of tourism activity. Arrivals show how many visitors entered the country; overnight stays provide information about activity in classified accommodation, while travel receipts measure foreign-currency revenues generated by travel. A complete assessment of the sector requires these indicators to be considered together. 

The first half of 2026 recorded growth across all three key tourism indicators. Morocco welcomed nearly 9.4 million visitors, while overnight stays in classified accommodation increased by 9%. Travel receipts reached approximately $6.69 billion by the end of June and rose to around $8.14 billion by the end of July. 

The source-market figures also point to a changing structure of demand. Strong growth from Poland, Germany and the United States is occurring alongside continued increases from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This diversification can provide additional opportunities for the sector while reducing reliance on a small number of individual markets. 

At the destination level, the strong increases in Ouarzazate and Rabat are notable, while Marrakech, Agadir, Casablanca and Tangier continue to record solid growth. The combination of rising arrivals and expanding activity outside the largest tourism centers could contribute to a broader distribution of tourism revenues across the country. 

Morocco’s tourism sector therefore entered the second half of 2026 with continued growth in visitor numbers, overnight stays, air traffic and foreign-currency revenues. The performance of the remaining months will depend on international demand, air connectivity, accommodation capacity and the sector’s ability to manage higher visitor volumes while maintaining the quality of services and experiences offered across the country.