Chinese Tourists in Morocco: Golden Week 2026 Snapshot
Morocco nearly doubled its Chinese tourist numbers in 2025, reaching close to 200,000 visitors for the year. Direct flights now connect Casablanca to Beijing and Shanghai. Morocco is targeting 300,000 Chinese tourists in 2026, 500,000 in 2027, and one million by 2030. Golden Week is the single biggest moment to capture that growth. If you work in Moroccan tourism, hospitality, or travel, this article is about where the numbers stand and what to do about it.
Morocco during Golden Week: what makes it special for Chinese tourists
Morocco is not a traditional Chinese tourist destination. That is exactly what makes it interesting. Chinese travelers in 2025 are moving away from the standard Europe circuit and looking for places that generate content nobody else has made yet. Morocco delivers: the blue alleys of Chefchaouen, the Sahara dunes, Fes medina, and riads with authentic architecture. These are visually strong and underrepresented on Chinese social media, which means early content gets massive organic reach.
Morocco also benefits from practical factors. Direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai cut travel time significantly. The Moroccan government has been actively courting Chinese tourists, with delegations visiting China and promotional campaigns on Chinese platforms. Entry requirements have been simplified. For Chinese tourists looking for something beyond Japan, Thailand, or Europe, Morocco is increasingly showing up in the top suggestions on RED and Ctrip.
The cultural distance is part of the appeal. Chinese tourists interested in Islamic architecture, the Sahara, and the contrast between French colonial influence and traditional Berber culture find Morocco genuinely different. It fits the “explorer” identity that younger Chinese travelers increasingly project.
Numbers
Full-year 2025: nearly 200,000 Chinese tourists visited Morocco, up from 106,000 in 2024. That is close to a doubling in one year.
The growth was driven by restored direct air links and a coordinated marketing push by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) on Chinese platforms. New routes connecting Shanghai to Casablanca opened in late 2024, significantly reducing the transit complexity that had historically discouraged Chinese travelers.
During Golden Week 2025, travel data showed Morocco as one of the emerging destinations gaining traction with Chinese travelers seeking unconventional experiences. The hashtag #摩洛哥旅行 (Morocco travel) saw record impressions on Xiaohongshu in October 2025.
Morocco’s 2026 target: 300,000 Chinese visitors. The government has set a longer-term goal of 1 million Chinese tourists per year by 2030. The trajectory from 106,000 to 200,000 in one year makes these targets achievable if infrastructure and promotion keep pace.
What Chinese tourists post on RED and Douyin from Morocco
Morocco generates strong content. The top formats on Xiaohongshu:
- Chefchaouen blue alley photography: outfit shots and architecture. This content consistently gets saved and reshared
- Sahara desert camps: sunset and sunrise photos, camel rides, star photography. High aspirational value
- Fes medina walkthroughs: “getting lost” content, leather tanneries, spice markets
- Riad interiors: the contrast between plain exterior walls and ornate interiors performs very well in Chinese interior design communities on RED
- Practical posts: “Is Morocco safe for solo travel?” and “Morocco itinerary 10 days from China” are high-search queries
On Douyin, Morocco appears in “hidden gem” travel content, vlogs showing the contrast between medina and modern Morocco, and food discovery posts (tagine, couscous, pastilla). The format that performs best is the “day in [city]” walkthrough at 60 to 90 seconds.
How businesses in Morocco should prepare for Golden Week 2026
Morocco is early enough in its Chinese tourism development that the businesses who move now get a significant first-mover advantage.
- Xiaohongshu presence: Very few Moroccan riads, tour operators, and restaurants have claimed or built their RED presence. This is a gap. Any riad in Fes or Marrakech with good Chinese-language content on RED will dominate search results because competition is low.
- Chinese payment: WeChat Pay and Alipay are not yet widely available in Morocco. Riads and tour operators who integrate these ahead of Golden Week 2026 will have a concrete edge.
- Partner with Chinese travel agents: Ctrip and Mafengwo are the main discovery platforms. Listing packages in Chinese with real photos and translated reviews is a basic requirement.
- Safety content: Chinese tourists research Morocco safety carefully before booking. Create content that addresses this directly. Hotels and tour operators who post practical safety information get higher conversion from organic search.
Xiaohongshu and Douyin strategy for Morocco during Golden Week
Morocco is in an ideal position for a content-first strategy because Chinese content about the country is still relatively scarce, meaning organic reach is high.
On Xiaohongshu: Focus on visual content that shows what makes Morocco unique. Chefchaouen, the Sahara, riad architecture, and food markets are your strongest assets. Work with Chinese travel KOCs (micro-influencers with 3,000 to 20,000 followers) who are visiting Morocco in summer 2026. Their content will rank in October searches. Hashtags: #摩洛哥 (Morocco), #撒哈拉沙漠 (Sahara), #国庆出行 (Golden Week travel).
On Douyin: Short-form video showing authentic Moroccan scenes works well. Partner with Douyin travel accounts already covering North Africa. The market is not saturated, so video content with good production quality will surface easily.
See our full guides on Xiaohongshu marketing and Douyin marketing, or explore our services for a dedicated Morocco strategy.
Summary
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Chinese tourists to Morocco 2024 | 106,000 |
| Chinese tourists to Morocco 2025 | ~200,000 (near doubling) |
| Morocco 2026 target | 300,000 Chinese tourists |
| Morocco 2030 target | 1 million Chinese tourists/year |
| Direct flights available | Casablanca to Beijing, Casablanca to Shanghai |
| Top content themes on RED | Chefchaouen, Sahara, riad interiors, food |
| Market maturity for Chinese tourists | Early stage, high first-mover advantage |
| Key booking platforms | Ctrip, Mafengwo |
Where does Morocco sit against the big destinations? Our Golden Week 2026 outbound data report has the rankings by platform.
Build your Morocco strategy before the market gets crowded
Morocco’s Chinese tourist market is growing fast. The businesses that establish a presence on RED and Ctrip before Golden Week 2026 will be the ones Chinese tourists find when they search. Contact us to start building that presence.
