This summer, Marrakech has been the most popular holiday destination among French tourists.

Marrakech: Most Popular Destination for French Tourists This Summer

Rabat – This summer, Marrakech has been the most popular holiday destination among French tourists.

Citing data from travel search engine Liligo, the French outlet “Le Parisien” reported on Monday that Marrakech topped searches by French tourists between January 1 and August 2022.

“While many French travelers have opted this season for nearby cities, often European, thanks to attractive prices,” Marrakech, Morocco’s prominent tourist hub and frequented destination for French tourists, remained among the favorites, added the French newspaper.

Flights connecting France to Marrakech cost roughly €274 (MAD 2,895), showing a 23% drop compared to that of 2019. According to Le Parisien, the low-flight prices have led French tourists to choose the Moroccan “red city” as their holiday destination despite staff strikes seen in late and early June across European airlines and airports.

Lisbon was also a popular choice for the French, ranking as their second-most-popular destination, ahead of Porto, Barcelona, Istanbul, Montreal, Djerba, and Nice. Ajaccio and Pointe-à-Pitre followed in the rankings.

The popularity of Moroccan destinations among French tourists, however, has sustained a strong hit caused by frequent border closures from the spread of COVID-19 cases.

While Morocco ranked 15th on the list of the top 20 destinations visited by the French in January 2022, a more recent study by a French tourism-focused outlet, l’Echo Touristique, reported that the kingdom was the sixth most visited travel destination for French tourists in July 2022.

The report noted that the amount of business from travel operations between Morocco and France increased by 59% this year, compared to 2019.

But while Morocco continues to be a favorite holiday destination for French tourists, Moroccan citizens, including business owners, diplomats, and students are struggling to secure a visa to enter the European country.

Recent reports indicate that French consulates reduced the number of visas issued for Moroccan applicants by at least 75%, a move that many in Morocco have slammed as “unjustifiable.”