Egypt and Morocco compete for Africa’s top tourist destination

Egypt and Morocco are head to head in a race to attract the highest number of international visitors, according to a report from Travel and Tour World.

As of 2024, Morocco leads the competition, welcoming 17.4 million foreign tourists and surpassing Egypt, according to the latest UN Tourism report. This represents a 20% increase from 2023. Egypt, however, also saw record-breaking numbers, drawing in 15.7 million visitors despite challenges posed by the ongoing war in Gaza.

Looking ahead, Egypt expects to surpass 18 million foreign visitors in 2025. A major draw will be the much-anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum on July 3rd, promoted as the world’s largest antiquities museum. Additionally, Egypt has been investing heavily in modern infrastructure and recently hosted Sports Expo 2025, the Middle East’s largest sports exhibition.

Meanwhile, Morocco remains equally ambitious. The country aims to attract 26 million visitors annually by 2030, coinciding with its role as a co-host of the FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. To strengthen its position, Morocco is increasing the number of direct flights through its national carrier and enhancing tourism infrastructure. In the short term, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, set to begin on December 21st, is expected to bring a surge of soccer fans to the country.

With both nations making significant investments in tourism, the battle for Africa’s top travel destination is far from over.