Agadir and Taghazout Bay are participating in the 46th edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, taking place from November 3 to 5 at ExCeL London. The destination is featured as the region of honor at the Morocco Pavilion. The Agadir Souss-Massa Regional Tourism Council (CRT) has brought together hoteliers, receptive agencies, and specialized operators for the event. The WTM is considered the largest professional tourism trade show in the world.
The British market holds significant importance for Agadir, with 276,273 British tourists visiting the city's classified accommodation establishments in the first nine months of 2026, representing a 5.7% increase from the previous year. Their overnight stays rose by 8.6% to reach 1.61 million. The UK is the leading market for the destination in terms of overnight stays, accounting for 31.2% of the total, followed by the national clientele with 1.07 million overnight stays.
British tourists tend to stay longer in Agadir, with an average stay of 5.8 nights compared to 4.3 nights for all clienteles. The city's tourism sector has shown growth, with 1.19 million arrivals (+4.5%) and 5.16 million overnight stays (+6.3%) in the first nine months of 2026. The occupancy rate of classified hotels increased by more than six points to 66.5%, up from 60% the previous year.
The high-end segment has driven growth, with five-star hotels experiencing a 24.7% surge in overnight stays. The hotel park has also expanded, with 14,319 rooms (+6%) and over 32,000 beds. However, the month of September calls for caution, with British arrivals increasing by only 1.3% and overnight stays by 0.6%. The dynamic slowed down at the end of the summer season, coinciding with the negotiation of winter programs.
Abdelhak Chahli, head of the CRT, emphasized that the WTM is not just a formality, given that the event takes place on the first foreign market of the destination and that British tour operators, historical partners of Agadir, are all present. The CRT aims to reassure historical partners, convince new ones, and promote a positioning based on quality of service, sustainability, and upgrading.
Agadir and Taghazout Bay are promoting their diverse tourism offerings, including balneology, golf, nature, and surfing, to establish themselves as a hub for south-Atlantic tourism. To achieve this, the sector needs to address several challenges, including increasing accommodation capacity, securing more seats on regular and low-cost flights, and extending the average length of stay.
The contacts established at the WTM will likely be reflected in the winter statistics. The ambition is clear: to make Agadir the Atlantic reference for Moroccan tourism, with benefits that also extend to the local economy. The CRT's participation in the WTM aims to capitalize on the strong appeal of Agadir to British tourists and convert this loyalty into air seats and longer stays.
Key points
- Agadir and Taghazout Bay are participating in the World Travel Market in London to promote their tourism offerings and attract more British tourists.
- The British market is a crucial segment for Agadir, accounting for 31.2% of the destination's total overnight stays.
- Agadir aims to establish itself as a hub for south-Atlantic tourism, with a focus on quality of service, sustainability, and upgrading.
