Morocco, 5th global destination in 2024 – Lonely Planet

The Australian travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet has ranked the kingdom of Morocco fifth of its top 10 destinations for the year 2024.

The publisher, one of the leading around the world, depicts the North African country as a dazzling destination with epic mountains, sweeping deserts and ancient cities, a country which greets travelers with warm hospitality and the perfect glass of mint tea.

“There’s nothing quite like wandering the Sahara Desert on camelback, hunting for bargains in a Marrakesh souk and exploring the enchanting blue city of Chefchaouen,” the publisher says.

“This North African country made our list in 2024 thanks to the buzz from its historic performance at the World Cup, its ascension to the echelon of the world surf circuit and its revived music festival, Mawazine, to start,” it adds.

The kingdom’s Atlas Lions stunned the world last year in Qatar reaching the semi-finals of FIFA World Cup, the best performance by an African and Arab country ever.

Things to do during a visit to the North African country, Lonely Planet says, include “Climb the tallest mountain in North Africa, Jebel Toubkal in the High Atlas, in a seven-day loop to the 4167m (13,671ft) summit,” “Camel-trek across the Erg Chebbi dunes in the Merzouga Desert and sleep out under the stars,” “Shop till you drop for clothing, crafts and spices in the labyrinthine souqs of Marrakesh, Fez or Tétouan,” “Wander the blue-walled medina alleys of Chefchaouen for a sky-tinted twist on a typical Moroccan streetscape,” the publisher notes, giving travelers a foretaste of a trip to Morocco.

The top ten destinations are dominated by Mongolia (1st), India (2nd), St Lucia (3rd) and Mexico (4th). Other destinations of the top 10 are Chile, Benin, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Croatia.

The ranking is set to spur arrivals to the kingdom which is already one of the prime destinations on the African continent.

In September, the kingdom welcomed 960,000 travelers, an increase by 7 per cent compared to the same month last year.

Morocco continues to be a top destination for travelers from around the world, with impressive tourism growth recorded up to August this year. According to the Ministry of Tourism, over 10.2 million tourists visited the country, representing a 49% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

This performance was accompanied by about a 33% increase in foreign currency revenues generated by the tourism sector during the first eight months of the year, reaching a record $6.8 billion.