Africa-Press. Despite the sharp decline in tourism in the Middle East due to the repercussions of war and regional tensions, both Morocco and Egypt, have managed to secure their positions among the best-performing global tourist destinations, according to the latest data from a global tourism barometer released by a local source.
The report indicated that the number of international tourists worldwide increased by 2% during the first quarter of 2026, reaching 307 million travelers. However, the Middle East recorded a decline of 14% compared to the same period last year, affected by airspace restrictions, travel disruptions, and rising transportation costs due to the war and tensions related to the Strait of Hormuz.
In this contrasting global landscape, Morocco continued to strengthen its status as one of the prominent international tourist destinations, having welcomed 19.8 million tourists in 2025, advancing to 22nd place globally in terms of incoming tourists, compared to 34th place in 2019.
Morocco’s tourism revenues also rose to $14.8 billion in 2025, moving up to 31st place worldwide in terms of international tourism earnings.
In the first quarter of 2026, Morocco recorded a growth of 7% in the number of incoming tourists, surpassing the global average of 2%. It also ranked among the best-performing destinations globally in terms of tourism revenue growth, achieving a 24% increase compared to the same period in 2025, according to data from a local source.
Egyptian Leap
Morocco’s performance was not an exception in the region, as Egypt emerged as one of the fastest-growing destinations worldwide in the first quarter of 2026, recording a 16% increase in the number of international tourists compared to the same period in 2025.
Egypt also achieved an 8% growth in tourism revenues during the first quarter, placing it among the top 15 global destinations for tourism revenue growth, at a time when most Middle Eastern countries were experiencing declines in travel activity.
The data showed that Egypt ranked second among countries in Africa and the Middle East in terms of tourist growth during the mentioned period, following Ethiopia, which recorded a growth of 18%.
