RABAT, APR 14 /DNA/ – Tourist arrivals in Morocco reached 2.9 million in the first quarter of 2023, a 17-percent increase from the same period of 2019, a reference pre-pandemic year, the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism said on Thursday.

“Tourism in Morocco continues its ascent to unprecedented levels, as evidenced by the exceptional figures recorded at the end of March 2023,” the ministry said.

Tourists from Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy and North America recorded a growth of 45 percent, 28 percent, 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively, it added.

Nearly 13 million tourists visited Morocco in 2019, the year before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, with its total tourism revenues amounting to 9.6 billion U.S dollars.

The North African country adopted on March 17 a 580-million-dollar plan to develop its tourism sector to attract 17.5 million tourists by 2026.