Rabat – Morocco’s red city Marrakech continues to impress the world, ranking on Airbnb’s list of must-visit destinations for 2023, the only Arab and African city to do so.
Airbnb said that it has “shaken the magic eight ball” to unveil the best destinations holiday makers would choose to travel, including during the New Year period.
“For the holiday planning geeks out there, our data reveals some of the top trending destinations and what factors are influencing how people are traveling,” the hospitality website said.
Marrakech, one of the main tourism destinations in Morocco. Photo: Morocco World News
The 24 destinations included Morocco’s Marrakech. The red city secured a spot among the top ten destinations, claiming the sixth spot in the ranking.
The Moroccan city is one of the best destinations, attracting millions of tourists from across the world, as well as locals, every year.
Marrakech, one of the main tourism destinations in Morocco. Photo: Morocco World News
The Marrakech Menara international airport welcomed over 6.2 million passengers during the first 11 months of 2023.
The traffic volume represents a recovery rate of 106% compared to 2019, during which the hub had over 5.8 million arrivals.
During the month of November 2023, the airport received around 613,148 passengers, reflecting a recovery rate of 107% compared to 2019, Morocco’s National Airports Office (ONDA) said.
The city continued to attract millions of tourists, including during and after the devastating earthquake that hit Al Haouz region and affected Marrakech on September 8.
Despite claims by some Western media outlets suggesting a negative impact on Morocco’s tourism industry, such allegations were promptly refuted by statistics revealing a notable increase in the number of tourists visiting the country following the earthquake.
Earlier this week, Morocco’s Exchange Office said that the North African country attracted 13.2 million tourists as of November.
Marrakech, one of the main tourism destinations in Morocco. Photo: Morocco World News
The data said that revenues from the sector jumped from MAD 84.12 billion ($8.5 billion) in November of last year to MAD 97.4 billion ($9.8 billion) at the end of November 2023, an increase of 15.8%.
Morocco’s goal is to attract more than 14 million tourists by the end of the year.
Airbnb is not the only international service listing Moroccan destinations or the whole country as one of the must-visit places for tourists to explore.
In June, the New York Times featured Marrakech among the world’s seven greatest cities for walks.
In February, Marrakech also featured among Tiktok’s Most Popular Romantic destinations, racking up a total of nearly 440 million TikTok views with the hashtags #Marrakesh and #MarrakechLovers.
The city has also been the destination of many celebrities, who chose to celebrate their birthdays and other special events like weddings.
Marrakech, one of the main tourism destinations in Morocco. Photo: Morocco World News
In 2018, Madonna celebrated her birthday with an authentic party where she also wore Moroccan outfits including traditional Amazigh clothes.
Kylian Mbappe and other football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo are also in love with the destination.
Hollywood superstar Robert de Niro was among the latest celebrities who shared his love for Morocco’s magic, including Marrakech.
In November, the iconic actor told Forbes magazine that extending his Nobu hotel to Marrakech “just made sense.”
Marrakech, one of the main tourism destinations in Morocco. Photo: Morocco World News
“I’d love to see the artwork that comes out of here from people on the street, if you will,” he said. “That’s always interesting.”
He said Morocco has a “whole mystery about it, there’s something very beautiful and lyrical about it.”
In May, he also described Marakech as a “special place.”
