Morocco tourism statistics 2025-2026, and what they mean for property

Morocco received a record 19.8 million visitors in 2025, up 14% on 2024 and 53% above 2019, and on reported counts stayed ahead of Egypt as Africa's most-visited country. Growth continued at a slower pace in 2026: 14.1 million arrivals by the end of August, up 4.5%. For property buyers, the useful questions are where visitors stay and spend, and whether holiday-let income has kept pace. In several cities it has not.

Updated 5 October 2026

Key facts

Morocco recorded 19.8 million tourist arrivals in 2025, up 14% on 2024 and 53% above 2019 (Ministry of Tourism, DEPF).
Arrivals reached 14.1 million in January-August 2026 (+4.5% year on year), and August 2026 was the first month ever above 2 million (Ministry of Tourism).
Travel receipts were a record MAD 138.1 billion in 2025 (+20.6%) and MAD 79.0 billion in January-July 2026 (+13.4%) (Office des Changes).
Moroccans living abroad made up 49% of the 17.4 million arrivals in 2024, the latest official split; we found no official 2025 split (Ministry of Tourism).
Marrakech took 32% of all nights in classified tourist accommodation in January-July 2026, at 70% occupancy (Observatoire du tourisme).
The official target is 26 million arrivals by 2030, with 60,000 hotel beds to add to just over 300,000 today (Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor, July 2026).
Average Airbnb revenue per listing fell about 22% year on year in Tangier and Casablanca in the twelve months to July 2026 (AirROI).

How many tourists visit Morocco each year?

19.8 million people visited Morocco in 2025, another annual record. Official counts include Moroccans living abroad (MRE) as well as foreign tourists.

2019: about 12.9 million (pre-pandemic)
2023: about 14.5 million
2024: 17.4 million (+20%)
2025: 19.8 million (+14%)
January-August 2026: 14.1 million (+4.5% on the same period of 2025)

The 2019 and 2023 totals are derived from the ministry's growth rates. In 2026, growth is slowing from a high base: +6% in the first half, +5% to July and +4.5% to August.

The ministry's 2026 objective is 21-22 million arrivals, according to Médias24. Our arithmetic: a year ending at +4.5% would give about 20.7 million.

Is Morocco the most visited country in Africa?

Yes, on official arrival counts, for the second year running. Morocco's 19.8 million arrivals in 2025 compare with about 19 million for Egypt, according to Hespress, and Morocco has been ahead since at least 2024.

Two caveats apply. Egypt grew faster in 2025 (+21% against +14%), and countries count differently: Morocco's total includes MRE, who were 49% of arrivals in 2024 (8.6 million, against 8.8 million foreign tourists). UN Tourism, as cited by Hespress, notes that countries count arrivals differently.

For a property buyer the ranking is a headline, not a demand signal. What matters is which cities visitors reach, how long they stay and whether they pay for a bed.

How much do tourists spend in Morocco?

Spending is growing faster than arrivals. Travel receipts reached a record MAD 138.1 billion in 2025, up 20.6%, according to the Office des Changes; Bank Al-Maghrib's annual report gives a slightly higher MAD 138.6 billion. From January to July 2026, receipts rose 13.4% to MAD 79.0 billion, nearly three times the pace of arrivals.

Per visitor, Morocco still earns less than its rivals: USD 747, against USD 1,176 for Spain, 968 for Turkey and 947 for Egypt, according to Bank Al-Maghrib's 2025 annual report (citing UN Tourism, as reported by Bladi.net). It puts the average hotel stay at 1.6 nights, against 3.3 in Spain, a figure Bladi.net says is pulled down by MRE who stay in their own homes or with family.

For owners, the point is that a large share of visitors never pay for a bed, so arrival totals overstate the paying market for holiday lets.

Where do Morocco's tourists come from?

France is the largest market: about 5.2 million arrivals in 2025, according to L'Economiste (a SETO estimate gives 5.76 million), ahead of Spain at 4.1 million and the UK at 1.2 million.

Growth in 2025 (DEPF): Italy +21%, UK +18%, Netherlands +15%, Spain +12%, France and Germany +11%, Belgium +10%
Growth in the first half of 2026 (DEPF): Poland +32%, Germany +14%, Netherlands +10%, France, Belgium and the US +9%, Italy +6%, UK +4%

The British slowdown matters most for Marrakech and Agadir, where UK guests make up 13% and 18% of Airbnb guests, behind the French at about 37-38% (AirROI). Growth from Germany, the Netherlands and Poland is broadening the base, and Moroccan airports handled a record 36.3 million passengers in 2025.

Which Moroccan cities get the most tourists?

Marrakech dominates, with about a third of all nights in classified tourist accommodation, and Agadir is a clear second. The figures below come from the Observatoire du tourisme.

Marrakech: 13.66 million nights in 2025 (+3%), 31% of the national total, 73% occupancy; nights up 10% in January-July 2026, at 70% occupancy
Agadir: 7.5 million nights to end-November 2025 (+11%); up 11% in January-July 2026
Casablanca: 2.9 million nights to end-November 2025 (+15%); up 10% in January-July 2026
Tangier: 2.1 million nights to end-November 2025 (+14%); up 10% in January-July 2026
Fès: 1.5 million nights to end-November 2025 (+12%); up 7% in January-July 2026
Rabat: up 13% to end-November 2025 and 16% in January-July 2026, the fastest of the large cities in 2026
Essaouira: 1.25 million nights in 2025 (+7%), at 57% occupancy, close to the national average

National occupancy averaged 58% in 2025. Note that this series was rebased. The ministry first reported 28.7 million nights for 2024, but the 2025 release (43.4 million, +9%) implies about 39.8 million. Compare growth rates, not raw counts from different releases.

Does record tourism mean higher holiday-let income?

Not automatically. Arrivals rose 14% in 2025, yet average Airbnb revenue per listing fell about 22% in Tangier and Casablanca over the twelve months to July 2026, according to AirROI. AirROI does not give a cause; a likely one is supply, as new listings dilute demand while hotels add beds.

Marrakech: 11,363 listings, 37.6% occupancy, USD 156 a night, USD 14,527 a year
Essaouira: 1,845 listings, 36.2% occupancy, USD 113 a night, USD 10,912 a year (-10.3%)
Tangier: 3,950 listings, 33.0% occupancy, USD 100 a night, USD 7,004 a year (-21.8%)
Agadir: 2,688 listings, 35.9% occupancy, USD 84 a night, USD 6,936 a year
Casablanca: 3,137 listings, 33.1% occupancy, USD 77 a night, USD 5,150 a year (-22.4%)

These averages include part-time and poorly managed listings, so a well-run property can beat them, but they are a better starting point than a peak-season rate times twelve months. For gross and net returns, see our rental yields guide.

What the tourism numbers mean for property buyers

Tourism supports holiday-home demand and resale liquidity in a few places, but it has not lifted prices broadly: the official property price index rose just 0.6% in 2025, the year arrivals jumped 14% (see property prices in 2026). Our reading, city by city:

Marrakech: the deepest and most international market (94% of Airbnb guests come from abroad, per AirROI), with the highest occupancy and nightly rates, and the most competition.
Agadir: steady French and British demand and the country's third-busiest airport, but nightly rates around USD 84 make purchase-price discipline essential.
Tangier and Casablanca: hotel nights are growing but short-let revenue is falling, so long-term letting or own use is the conservative assumption.
Essaouira: hotel occupancy near the national average, but revenue per listing fell 10% in the year to July 2026; check how many listings compete nearby.
Rabat: the fastest growth in hotel nights among the large cities in 2026; we have no reliable short-let data for it.

Looking to 2030, the government targets 26 million arrivals and 60,000 more hotel beds. The minister calls the World Cup "an accelerator, not an end in itself", which is the right frame for buyers too: see renting out during the World Cup.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How many tourists visited Morocco in 2025?

19.8 million, a record. Arrivals rose 14% on the 17.4 million of 2024 and were 53% above the 2019 pre-pandemic level, according to the Ministry of Tourism and the Finance Ministry's DEPF. The total counts foreign tourists and Moroccans living abroad together.

Is tourism in Morocco still growing in 2026?

Yes, but more slowly. Arrivals reached 14.1 million in January-August 2026, up 4.5% on the same period of 2025, after double-digit growth in 2024 and 2025. Spending is growing faster: travel receipts rose 13.4% to MAD 79.0 billion in January-July 2026, according to the Office des Changes.

What share of Morocco's visitors are Moroccans living abroad?

About half. In 2024, 8.6 million of the 17.4 million arrivals were Moroccans living abroad (49%) and 8.8 million were foreign tourists (51%), according to the Ministry of Tourism. We found no official 2025 split as of October 2026; Bladi.net estimates about 50%. Many diaspora visitors stay with family, so they add less to holiday-let demand than their numbers suggest.

When is peak season for holiday lets in Morocco?

It depends on the city. In Marrakech, AirROI's data identifies April, August and October as the peak months for Airbnb hosts. Nationally, summer brings the most arrivals: August 2026 was the first month ever above 2 million visitors. Airlines also add winter routes to Agadir from France and the UK, which spreads demand more evenly across the year.

Will the 2030 World Cup increase tourism in Morocco?

Probably for a few weeks; the lasting effect is less certain. The government targets 26 million arrivals by 2030 and 60,000 extra hotel beds. Research on South Africa 2010 found the tournament's short-term effect on international tourism was much smaller than expected (du Plessis and Maennig, 2011). The airport, rail and hotel capacity built for the event is likely to matter more than the matches.

Do more tourists mean higher property prices in Morocco?

Not so far. Arrivals rose 14% in 2025, but the official price index from Bank Al-Maghrib and the land registry rose only 0.6% that year and 0.7% in the year to the second quarter of 2026. Tourism supports holiday-home demand in specific places, notably Marrakech, but it has not moved national prices, and short-let income has fallen in some cities.

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