Morocco Tourism Up Following Historic World Cup Run

FILE: Tourists walk about in Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Morocco's Marrakesh on May 12, 2022.

The tourism sector in Morocco has recently seen a recovery partly attributed to the Moroccan soccer team's historic achievement in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to tourism officials.

The Moroccan team was the first Arab and first African team to reach the semifinals in the international soccer tournament, a performance that has helped promote the country as a tourist destination.

One of Morocco's popular tourist attractions is the historic western city of Marrakech.

The sunny city is an important economic center that boasts gardens, mosques and palaces.

The city's airport saw a surge in arrivals in December that has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, said Zakaria Harti, an official at the Marrakech Menara Airport.

FILE: A picture shows a section of the walls around the Agdal gardens and High Atlas mountain range (background) in Marrakesh on December 29, 2014 .

"We've recorded an increase of more than 12% (in arrivals) in December 2022 compared to December 2019," he said.

The international soccer tournament was held in December, and the Moroccan team that month returned to ecstatic celebrations at home.

It was an unforgettable World Cup for Morocco which made history but couldn’t make it past Kylian Mbappé and France.

Since the World Cup, hotels across Marrakech have mostly been fully booked.

"I see all these countries' names in the World Cup and Morocco was one them... it's very cool to be here," said Regina Sustre, a tourist visiting Marrakech.

The city features bustling souks and serves as a gateway to the nearby Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert.

The city is also known for its traditional cuisine, which features spices and flavors that are unique to the region.

According to the office of tourism in Marrakech, the number of tourists who visited Morocco in 2022 had reached 10.9 million, climbing from 3.7 million in 2021 and 2.8 million in 2020.