Morocco Ranks Second in Africa for Tourism According to Bloom Consulting Report (2024-2025)

By Ali Benharar | Hespress | Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 14:00. Adapted from the original Arabic article on Hespress.

Morocco has secured the second position in Africa for tourism, surpassing South Africa and trailing only Egypt, according to Bloom Consulting’s 2024-2025 report on tourism brands. This is a significant achievement for the country’s tourism strategy, which continues to capture attention across various levels.

The report highlights Morocco’s remarkable improvement, marking the first time the country has overtaken South Africa in the rankings. The advancement was largely attributed to Morocco’s strong digital presence and its effective use of social media for tourism marketing.

A Boost from Resilience and Crisis Management

Bloom Consulting also credited Morocco’s resilience in managing challenges, particularly noting the country’s response to the September 8 earthquake that affected the Al Haouz, Chichaoua, and Taroudant regions. The report emphasized that Morocco’s ability to adapt and push resilience to its limits during such crises has been instrumental in shaping its future tourism offerings. Continued efforts in this direction are expected to provide more accurate data for future analyses and rankings.

Steady Performance and International Competitiveness

In addition to its resilience, Morocco demonstrated consistent performance in other tourism-related areas, which enhanced its overall appeal. This growing attractiveness placed Morocco firmly at the top of the continent’s tourism offerings, just behind Egypt. The latter has also seen a significant rise, jumping six spots globally to be among the top 25 international tourism brands.

Other African countries also saw improvements, including Ethiopia, which made impressive gains in the ranking, climbing to ninth place. Uganda regained its standing, now ranked 11th, with potential to break into the top 10 African tourism brands in the near future.

South Africa and Ghana Decline in Rankings

While Morocco saw improvements, South Africa experienced a decline, dropping to third place in the African rankings. The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its slow recovery, coupled with weaker social media performance, contributed to this downturn.

Ghana, too, faced a setback, losing two spots in the ranking. The report attributed this decline to a sharp drop in tourism revenues, despite signs of recovery in 2022.

Global Tourism Highlights

Globally, Italy maintained its position as the top tourism destination in Europe, with Spain dropping to second. Germany, Slovenia, and Poland also showed positive momentum, while Poland’s recovery was notable given its proximity to the Russia-Ukraine war.

In Asia, Japan dominated the tourism rankings, followed by Thailand and India, the latter breaking into the top five for the first time. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Qatar also showed strong performances, ranking 10th and 13th respectively.

In the Americas, the United States continued to lead, followed by Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and Brazil. The report noted upward trends in Aruba and Colombia, while Jamaica and Peru struggled with setbacks in their tourism sectors.

This ranking by Bloom Consulting showcases the growing strength of Morocco’s tourism sector and highlights the country’s potential to further rise on the global tourism stage in the coming years.