Morocco Leads Africa’s Tourism Recovery in 2025, UN Tourism Data Shows
Rabat, The Gulf Observer: Morocco has emerged as a leading force in Africa’s tourism recovery in 2025, according to data released by UN Tourism, placing the North African kingdom at the forefront of the continent’s rebound.
UN Tourism data showed that Africa welcomed 81 million international visitors in 2025, marking an 8 percent increase compared with the previous year. The strongest performance was recorded in North Africa, where arrivals surged by 100 percent, reflecting a robust post-pandemic recovery.
Among African and global destinations, Morocco was identified as the most popular destination with strong positive results, ranking ahead of other internationally renowned locations such as Brazil and Egypt.
The data indicated that Morocco recorded solid growth in tourist arrivals during the first 10 to 12 months of 2025, registering a 19 percent increase compared with 2024. This performance allowed Morocco to continue outpacing Egypt, which reported a 17 percent rise in travel arrivals over the same period.
UN Tourism quoted its Secretary-General, Shaikha Alnuwais, as saying that global travel demand “remained high throughout 2025, despite high inflation in tourism services and uncertainty stemming from geopolitical tensions.” She expressed confidence that the positive momentum would extend into 2026, as the global economy is expected to remain steady and destinations that have not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels continue their recovery.
Morocco welcomed a total of 19.8 million tourists in 2025, representing a 14 percent increase compared with the previous year, according to official figures.
The Ministry of Tourism described the results as a record-breaking performance that confirms the strong upward trajectory of Morocco’s tourism and hospitality sector. The ministry said the achievement marks a new chapter in the development of the sector, as the country approaches the milestone of 20 million tourists for the first time.
In addition to growth in arrivals, Morocco also reported record tourism revenues, which reached MAD 124 billion by the end of November 2025. This represented a 19 percent increase compared with 2024, underscoring the sector’s growing contribution to the national economy.
