7,7million tourists at the end of November 2009 (+7%)

The overnight stays recorded at classified tourist accommodation establishments have shown a 5% drop, compared with the month of November 2008.The decrease in terms of overnight stays recorded during that month is mainly reflected in the negative results of non resident tourists (-7%), an outcome which has been partially reduced thanks to the positive performance recorded by residents whose overnight stays have risen by 6%.

During that period, the volume of the tourists' arrivals at the frontier posts has risen by 24% (+6% for foreign tourists and +2% for the Moroccan Nationals Resident abroad/MRE).

The most important tourist destination of the Kingdom, that is to say Marrakech has shown a positive evolution( +1% in terms of overnight stays), thus achieving its third consecutive growth with a +5% rise last month and +10% in the month of September. The cities of Fez and El Jadida-Mazagan have also witnessed a growth at the level of their overnight stays of 23% and 96% respectively.

However, the majority of the other major destinations have shown a decline as regards their overnight stays during that month: Agadir (-15%), Casablanca (-11%), Tangier (-10%) and Rabat (-16%).

The decrease in the overnight stays of non residents accounts primarily for the French market (-16%), the German market (-7%) and the Scandinavian one (-41%), countries which represent 82% of the lost tourist nights during that month.

The markets which have recorded a positive evolution in terms of overnight stays that month are Spain (+5%), the Arab countries (+10%) and Belgium (+7%).

inally, the average room occupancy rate has shown a four point drop, to be set at 37% in November 2009, against 41% the previous year.

For further information....

National Statistics- November 2009 - (in french)

Annual evolution of nights spent in classified accommodation establishments

Monthly evolution of nights spent in classified accommodation establishments