Fatma Zahra Amur, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) political bureau, revealed on Saturday in Marrakech that the tourism sector has achieved unprecedented record numbers, confirming that Morocco has become the leading tourist destination in Africa.
Amur, speaking at the “Path of Achievements” communication meeting in the Marrakech-Safi region, explained that these achievements are the result of the government’s strategy that prioritized the sector. Amur presented precise figures confirming this recovery, noting that Morocco received 13.5 million tourists during the past eight months, representing an increase of more than 4.3 million tourists compared to 2019, which was the best tourism year before the Covid-19 pandemic. Foreign currency revenue also saw a significant increase, reaching 67 billion dirhams, an increase of 26 billion dirhams compared to 2019.
The RNI leader pointed out that these results were not achieved by chance, but were the fruit of exceptional efforts that began from the first day the government assumed its duties, under the difficult circumstances left by the Corona pandemic. She noted that the government allocated 8 billion dirhams, including 2 billion dirhams for an emergency plan to assist professionals, and 6 billion dirhams for a new roadmap for the sector.
Speaking about Marrakech, the tourism minister described the city as the best example of the success of the government’s strategy. The number of tourists received by Marrakech Menara Airport has risen from 3 million tourists in 2019 to 4.3 million tourists currently. She confirmed that the hotel occupancy rate in the city reached 70%, and 240 new hotels were opened during four years, at a rate of five hotels per month.
Amur considered tourism not just an economic sector, but a fundamental driver of development, contributing to job creation, regional development, and enhancing Morocco’s international reputation. She stressed that the National Rally of Independents party has fulfilled its commitments and succeeded in transforming challenges into opportunities and crises into achievements thanks to its ability to understand the problems of Moroccans and provide solutions on the ground.
