By: Gwendydd Vaillié | June 6, 2025 | Yabiladi.com
With 17.4 million visitors in 2024, Morocco has become Africa’s top tourist destination, breaking records year after year. But at what cost to the land and its people? On the International Day of Responsible Tourism, voices like Said Marghadi’s—founder of the Touda ecolodge in Aït Bouguemez—call for a new approach that puts sustainability and respect for local communities at the heart of tourism.
The Kingdom of Morocco has never welcomed so many visitors. In 2024, a record 17.4 million tourists set foot on Moroccan soil, surpassing the 2026 target two years ahead of schedule, according to the Ministry of Tourism. This surge generated 112.5 billion dirhams in revenue, a 7.5% increase from the previous year. Tourism now undeniably boosts the national economy, employing 827,000 people and creating 25,000 new jobs in just one year. But at what cost—and for how long? The reality is far more complex. The rapid expansion of tourism is transforming entire regions, often to the detriment of local communities and the environment.
