This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
The Minister of Tourism, Industry, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, said on Tuesday in the Chamber of Councilors, that the tourism sector generated, during the first five months of this year, 34 billion dirhams (MMDH) of foreign currency revenue, up 8% compared to the same period in 2024.
In response to an oral question on the “promotion of tourism in the southern provinces”, Ms. Ammor said that the number of nights reached 11.8 million at the end of May, up 13%, while the number of tourists who visited the kingdom has established 7.2 million people (+22% in annual shift).
Regarding internal tourism, the Minister said that the number of nights around 3 million in the first five months of 2025, up 4% compared to the end of May 2024, stressing that this advance was made possible thanks to government investments in this vital sector for the national economy.
Ms. AMMOR also said that its department continues to implement the strategic roadmap of the 2023-2026 tourism sector, with a budget of 6 MMDH, through several axes, in particular the promotion and revival of air transport, the strengthening of investment in tourism accommodation and animation, as well as the development of 14 projects-Locomotives that contribute to energize regions.
In addition, the minister noted that the southern provinces, with regard to their promising tourist assets, are experiencing an increasing enthusiasm on the part of national and foreign tourists, adding that this type of tourism benefited from the remarkable momentum recorded by the sector at the national level.
In this regard, it indicated that the number of tourists who stayed in tourist accommodation establishments reached around 80,000 people at the end of May 2025, up 48% compared to 2019, before the Cavid-19 pandemic, while the number of nights amounted to around 195,000 people (+49%).
Tourism in the southern provinces benefits from the 2023-2026 roadmap through several thematic sectors, including “Désert & Oasis Adventure” offering new tourist experiences, “Ocean Waves” for water sports enthusiasts, “Beach & Sun”, or even “cultural circuits” aimed at highlighting the immaterial heritage of the South Provinces and Attractive tourism, in addition to interior tourism, noted Ms. Ammor.
At the same time, it notes that air transport is an essential lever for tourism in these provinces, citing for this purpose the new aerial links recently launched, such as “Madrid-Dakhla” and “Lanzarote-Dakhla”.
