The tourism sector closed the year 2024 by generating 1.377 million arrivals with more than 5.914 million nights recorded in classified tourist accommodation establishments in Agadir. The second largest tourist clientele, flows from the British market are in the lead with 1.561 million overnight stays. They even exceed the French and national markets, declining in 2024.
A new level has been reached. Tourist activity within the Agadir destination has shattered a new record in terms of tourist attendance, thanks to the consolidation of air travel, with 2024 beyond expectations.
This performance was recorded despite the drop in national flows (due to the current economic situation) and the closure of certain seafront hotels for renovation work. The monthly analysis of the tourist situation, carried out by the CRT of Agadir Souss-Massa for the month of December, confirmed this tourist harvest. It comes on the eve of the visit to Agadir of Achraf Fayda, new director general of the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT).
This visit, scheduled for January 16, 2025, will be an opportunity to discuss the prospects of the tourism sector and to inquire about the strategic orientations planned by the ONMT, particularly for the Agadir destination. The sector has, moreover, completed the year 2024 by generating 1.377 million arrivals and more than 5.914 million overnight stays. It should be noted that these figures concern classified tourist accommodation establishments in Agadir, including the resorts of Taghazout and Imi Ouaddar.
In detail, this increase is driven by a double-digit increase in arrivals over the whole of 2024, i.e. an increase of 15.76% compared to the years 2019/2024 and 13.84% compared to for the 2023/2024 season. In value terms, arrivals increased from 1.190 million tourists in 2019 to 1.210 million in 2023 before reaching 1.377 million in 2024, with a gain of 167,442 tourists.
2024: 5.914 million overnight stays
Regarding total overnight stays, they recorded an increase of 17.79% compared to 2023 and 9.78% compared to 2019. This development is the result of an increase of 5.387 million overnight stays in 2019, 5.020 million in 2023 and 5.914 million in 2024, an annual gain of 893,381 nights.
With the end-of-year holidays, the destination attracted 106,682 tourists in December, an increase of 11.11% compared to December 2023 and 23.77% compared to December 2019. The observation is the same for overnight stays, the destination having recorded 442,142 overnight stays.
As a result, the total nights spent in classified tourist accommodation establishments increased by 21.79% compared to December 2023 and by 20.89% compared to 2019. If there is a fact worthy of to be noted is that the destination could exceed, for the first time, the mark of 1.5 million tourists and more than 6 million overnight stays, if the national market had not finished the year 2024 in decline with -6.30% in terms of arrivals of national flows compared to the year 2023 and -8.80% in terms of overnight stays.
So british!
By referring to the shares of the main source markets in terms of arrivals and overnight stays, the economic analysis confirmed the trend of recovery in the British market which ranked first in overnight stays this year. The second largest tourist clientele currently within the Agadir destination, after national and French flows, this market has performed well in the Agadir destination, boosting attendance, thanks to airlines.
As a result, these flows occupy first place on the podium for tourist nights with 1.561 million nights, even surpassing the French and national markets which recorded the same number of nights, i.e. 1.242 million.
In terms of arrivals, national flows are the first with 456,399 visitors. They are followed by British (272,073 tourists) and French (244,273) flows. Furthermore, the German market continues its decline with other flows which could have helped to boost attendance. As for the average occupancy rate, it recorded in the classified hotels of the city of Agadir an increase of 10.27% compared to 2023, rising to 61.53% in 2024 compared to 55.79% in 2023 and 55, 12% in 2019.
As for the average length of stay, it recorded a slight increase, i.e. 4.29 days in 2024 compared to 4.18 in 2023.
Yassine Saber / ECO Inspirations
