World Cup success set to kick off Moroccan tourism boom

Tourism bosses in Morocco expect a surge in bookings for 2023, thanks to the success of the country’s football team at the World Cup.

The Moroccan squad reached the final four of the tournament in Qatar, becoming the first African team to make the semi-finals stage.

The Moroccan National Tourist Office said that performances by the Atlas Lions prompted a huge surge in social media mentions over the past month, including comments about Morocco as a holiday destination.

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It cited figures from social media monitor Talkwalker, which found there were 13 million mentions over the past 30 days across social media, when a normal average would be fewer than 500,000.

The MNTO said it will continue to work with travel agents to offer fam trips and training to capitalise on the demand and growing awareness for travel to Morocco.

Tourism minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor said the number of winter holiday bookings from the UK has risen over the past month, while enquiries on the Visit Morocco website rose 10-fold.

Commenting on the social media surge, she said: “It is important to note these mentions came from a very wide range of countries, where traditionally they were only concentrated in Morocco and parts of Europe.

“We can only capitalise on this exposure and in the UK we are seeing this enthusiasm transform into tourist arrivals.”

More than 650,000 British tourists visited Morocco in 2019, placing the UK in fourth position for arrivals and second for overnight stays. The UK and Irish market is the second most important in value terms for Morocco after the French.

Also helping to boost tourism numbers are increases in flight capacity and a host of new hotels.

Six airlines – Ryanair, easyJet, Royal Air Maroc, British Airways, Tui and Air Arabia – operate from seven airports in the UK and Ireland to five Moroccan destinations.

New hotels include Fairmont La Marina Rabat Sale Hotel and Residences, Rabat; Barberrih Hotel Hospitality Palaces & Resorts, Essaouira; Fairmont Tazi Palace, Tangier; Rabat Marriott Hotel; and Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa.

The Morocco National Tourist Office (MNTO) said its research shows its range of attractions appeal to a younger audience “who demand the unexpected and something different from their travels”.

It has been highlighting its tourism offering with the Kingdom of Light campaign, and the country also hosted Abta’s Travel Convention in Marrakech in October.

Picture of Marrakech by Olena Znak/Shutterstock