Rabat : The number of international visitors to Morocco has grown by 14 percent in the first six months of 2017, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft, and Social Economy.

The ministry added that the number of Moroccan living abroad arriving in the kingdom increased by 3 percent during the same period.

According to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), 4.5 million of tourists visited Morocco between January and June, representing an increase of 9 percent compared to the same period in 2016.

The increase was underpinned by the surge of German tourists in the visit to Morocco, which marked the increase of 12 percent, according to the ministry. The visits of Dutch arrivals rose by 8 percent and Spanish by 7 percent, Morocco World News reported.

The ministry added that the number of Chinese vacationers in the kingdom has increased by 565 percent, while Japanese tourist arrivals rose by 46 percent.

The department went on to add that the number of South Korean visitors has increased by 42 percent and American tourists by 27 percent.

Brazilian tourists increased by 41 percent, added the ministry.

During the first five months of 2017, Morocco’s hotels recorded an increase of 18 percent regarding overnight stays.

The ministry noted that Marrakech and Agadir drew 60 percent of overnight stays in the kingdom at the end of June, adding that the number of overnight stays in these cities increased by 19 percent in Marrakech and 18 percent in Agadir.

The number of overnight stays in Fez grew by 38 percent and in Tangier by 29 percent during the first six months of 2017.

—SM/IINA