Marrakech: the boom in overnight stays hides persistent difficulties

The volume of nights spent in classified tourist accommodation establishments (EHTC) in Marrakech showed an increase of 8% during the first seven months of the year. This improvement should continue provided that additional efforts are made.

According to data from the Tourism Observatory, the number of nights in classified tourist accommodation establishments reached 5.5 million nights at the end of last July, compared to 5.1 million nights for the same period in 2023 Regarding the occupancy rate in these establishments, it reached 69% during the first seven months of this year, compared to 66% for the same period in 2023. This improvement is “the natural result of integrated efforts between the establishments. different actors,” say the professionals. This increase is the result of “the efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism, Crafts, Social and Solidarity Economy as well as the Moroccan National Tourism Office,” said Ahmed Bennani, president of the Regional Association of the hotel industry of Marrakech-Safi with Hespress. “This development is important, although the figures do not take into account overnight stays in the unorganized sector in Marrakech, otherwise we would be facing an abundant supply and continued demand,” he estimated.