Morocco Considers Regulating Airbnb Ahead of 2030 World Cup

Founded in 2008, and present in more than 220 countries and more than 100,000 cities, Airbnb is competing with hoteliers and delighting owners of tourist accommodation establishments. Morocco aims to welcome 26 million tourists by 2030, the year it will host the 2030 World Cup, jointly with Spain and Portugal. If nothing is done to regulate the sector, the bulk of the expected tourism revenue will be captured by the booking platform, which would be a major loss for the State.

According to Airbnb data in Morocco, owners renting out their properties through the platform earn an average of $1,200 per year. "Airbnb is a formula that suits everyone, when it is framed. It is not because the hoteliers say that it is unfair competition that it is true. Each has its own clientele. What is missing is the legal framework that governs the activity," explains Amal Karioun, president of the National Federation of Travel Agencies, inviting the State "to crack down on people who do not respect the legislation," while ensuring not to "promote overtourism."

Zoubir Bouhoute, an expert in tourism policy, believes that alternative rentals are not a threat to hoteliers. "In figures, in Morocco, even if we have nearly 4,000 hotels facing 13,000 private accommodations, the ratio between the two offers is quite far apart. The hotel offer accumulates nearly 150,000 rooms. That being said, I think Morocco should opt for an approach of openness and control. I recall that the law on alternative rentals is in the process of being processed," he said.

The kingdom could be inspired by Spain, England or Italy, which have limited bookings on Airbnb to cope with overtourism. Barcelona, for example, has decided to ban the rental of 10,000 homes on Airbnb by 2029. London, for its part, has limited Airbnb rentals to 90 nights per year for entire homes. In Italy, metropolises like Rome, Florence and Milan have limited Airbnb-type rentals. The Italian government, for its part, intends to put in place a legal framework to regulate short-term tourist rentals.