Morocco Prepares for Tourism Surge Ahead of 2030 World Cup Co-Hosting

"We have seen excessive tourism everywhere in the world, so we have to make sure we develop our activity judiciously. We have to make sure we don’t just think about the World Cup and the six cities," said Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, at the Future Hospitality Summit held in Dubai this week. Morocco expects to welcome 26 million tourists in 2030, the year it will co-host the World Cup, nearly double the 14.5 million travelers expected in 2023.

This expected influx of football fans worries the Moroccan government. It has taken measures to cope with this increase, including the expansion of the kingdom’s three major airports in Marrakech, Casablanca and Agadir. In terms of hotels, it plans 150,000 new hotel rooms by 2030.

Morocco is banking on infrastructure development. "The World Cup will take place in six cities and we have to develop the infrastructure to prepare for the event. It is very important to have more hotels and more activities to do and this is something we have to work on from the beginning," Imad Barrakad, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development, told The National on the sidelines of the Future Hospitality Summit. Morocco is also looking for foreign investment to develop hotels, theme parks, resorts and exhibition centers. "We are very close to the GCC market and GCC investors are welcome. We are here to help them," Barrakad added.

Last year, Morocco launched its Investment Charter to attract investors. This Charter offers incentive measures such as cash government contributions, VAT exemptions and customs duty exemptions. The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development aims to increase foreign direct investment in the tourism sector by 20% to 30% by 2026.