The year 2024 has seen Morocco celebrate a record-breaking 16 million tourist arrivals, surpassing the 12 million mark set in 2023, with the country continuing to see impressive growth in tourist arrivals.

Data from the country’s Ministry of Tourism, the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) reveals that additional indicators reveal that the sector reached remarkable numbers in just 10 months, surpassing the total number of arrivals typically seen in a full year.

According to the new details from the directorate, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Economy, the country’s tourism revenues reached MAD 96.9 billion by the end of October, an increase of 9.3% compared to the same period last year.

A statement by the Ministry said
Morocco notably reached a new record of 14.6 million tourists by the end of October, the directorate indicated, noting that this far surpassed the previous record set at the end of 2023 in just 10 months.

“The number marks a 19% increase year on year, representing 2.3 million additional arrivals by the end of October 2024,” it said.

“This remarkable growth is driven both by foreign tourists, whose numbers have increased by 22%, and Moroccans living abroad.

“This past October was an especially strong month for the Moroccan hospitality industry. Approximately 1.5 million visitors traveled to the North African country during that month, representing an increase of 30% compared to October last year,” it stated.

The Ministry of Tourism celebrated the upward trend during a meeting of the Moroccan National Tourism’s Board of Directors held on Monday, with data showing that the North African country saw a record 15.87 million visitors by the end of November, marking a 20% increase while tourism revenues soared to MAD 97 billion.

“The sector achieved a growth rate of 19%, higher than the world average of 12% and most competing destinations,” the Moroccan Tourism Office said.

Speaking at the event, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor:

“Our tourism roadmap is bearing fruit and we can now enter the year 24 with confidence and determination.”

Moroccan doctors across the country on Tuesday staged a nationwide protests in what is known as “Week of Anger,” accusing the government of ignoring their calls for reform in public healthcare.

In a public announcement on Monday, the Independent Union of Public Sector Doctors (SIMSP) said the strike action would include more walkouts from December 30 to January 5.

The SIMSP said the nationwide strike would affect all public health facilities except emergency and intensive care units to ensure that some level of care remained available.

“During this time, doctors will not be at diagnostic centres and they will also boycott administrative tasks and refuse to issue medical certificates,” the SIMSP said.

The union added that a large march is planned for December 29 in Rabat, aimed at opposing laws on strikes and pensions.

The doctors’ union noted that their demands have been ignored by the Ministry of Health.

The union stated that their requests to government has remained unanswered. It also criticized a new framework for doctors, calling it scandalous as it threatens job security and opens the door to unfair dismissals.

The doctors’ demands include extra grades for doctors beyond the current scale, higher salaries, and an end to limits on promotions.

The union also wants the government to honour agreements made in 2011, 2023, and 2024.

According to the union, the doctors are also upset with the 2025 budget plan, which they say fails to address the health sector’s funding issues, expressing concerned about plans to shift salaries from central budgets to local health groups and warning that this could lead to instability.

The union added that doctors will continue to boycott school health programmes and what they call “improvised” surgical campaigns. They insist on maintaining high medical standards while pushing for change.