São Paulo – Morocco received 4.2 million tourists in the first half of the year, growth of 6.3% over the same period in 2010, according to a press statement disclosed this week by Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), the official news agency of the Arab country.
According to MAP, there was growth in the number of French (4%), German (18%), British (12%), Italian (5%) and Belgian (17%) visitors. These are the origins of tourists that travelled most to Morocco, according to the publication.
The number of nights spent by tourists in the North African country, however, dropped 2% in the period, with the exception of Agadir, where there was expansion of 4%.
According to MAP, Morocco aimed to reach the figure of 10 million visitors a year, but this figure was frustrated by the international financial crisis, which had an impact on tourism.
It is worth recalling, however, that the growth observed in the first half of 2011 was under adverse conditions, among them the very bad moment for the economy of Europe, the revolutions in nations in North Africa, which also inspired protests in Morocco, as well as a terrorist attack at a café in Marrakesh, one of the main tourist hubs in Morocco, in April.
The article by MAP does not include figures about Brazilian tourists, but by the end of this year, Royal Air Maroc, the airline of the Arab country, plans to inaugurate a direct flight to Brazil.
*Translated by Mark Ament
