19-05-2025
Morocco Sees Fivefold Increase in Russian Tourists for Summer 2025
Doha – Russian interest in Moroccan travel has surged dramatically for the upcoming summer season. According to analytics from travel planning service OneTwoTrip, Morocco showed the most notable increase in demand, with five times more travelers planning to visit this summer compared to 2024.
Morocco now accounts for 0.5% of all foreign bookings by Russian tourists. This growth places the North African country ahead of other destinations gaining popularity among Russian travelers.
Abkhazia follows with a threefold increase, representing 0.7% of bookings. Spain (9.1% of bookings), Hungary (2.3%), and Kazakhstan (2.2%) have all seen their numbers double.
Other African countries are also seeing increased interest from Russian tourists. Egypt's share grew by 75%, while South Africa saw a 57% increase.
European destinations like France (+75%) and Italy (+50%) are gaining popularity as well. Russian travelers are also increasingly interested in Vietnam (+45%), Uzbekistan (+44%), Armenia (+15%), and China (+11%).
This unprecedented upswing in Russian tourism comes as Morocco experiences an exceptional growth in overall visitor numbers.
In the first four months of 2025, Morocco welcomed 5.7 million tourists, representing a 23% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This translates to one million additional tourists in just four months.
April alone saw 1.7 million arrivals, up 27% from April 2024, showing Morocco's appeal now extends beyond traditional peak seasons.
Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor stressed the significance of these figures: 'One million additional visitors in what is typically a quieter start to the year is a strong signal for the remainder of 2025.'
She credited these results to the tourism roadmap launched by the government under King Mohammed VI's leadership.
The growth builds on Morocco's record-breaking 2024, when it attracted 17.4 million tourists, surpassing Egypt to become Africa's most-visited destination.
Egypt received 15.7 million visitors in 2024, setting its own record but losing the continental top spot. Morocco's tourism revenue reached $11 billion in 2024, up from $10.5 billion the year before.
Morocco's 2024 numbers represent a 20% increase from 2023 and more than 33% growth compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures, when the country hosted 13 million tourists. This remarkable leap puts Morocco two years ahead of its tourism projections.
Tourism Minister Ammor has expressed ambitions to position Morocco among the top 15 global tourist destinations. Key factors driving this growth include the introduction of 120 new airline routes in 2024 and new luxury hotels from brands like Four Seasons and Nobu.
Morocco has also capitalized on its national football team's success, which made history as the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022.
The country now prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations from December 2025 to January 2026. By 2030, when Morocco is set to co-host the FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal, the country aims to welcome 26 million tourists annually—50% more than current figures.
Read also: Morocco Earns MAD 24.6 Billion from Tourism in First Three Months of 2025
