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Rabat – Spanish Hospitality Group Barcelo announced plans to invest MAD 500 million ($46 million) to launch multiple new hotels across Morocco.
On Thursday, Barcelo Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) paving the way for the group’s expansion strategy in Morocco. The agreement was signed with Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social Economy and the Ministry in Charge of Investment, and Evaluation of Public Policies.
Signed by two Moroccan ministers, Fatim-Zahra Ammor and Mohcine Jazouli, and Barcelo’s Group President Simon Pedro Barcelo Vadell, the MoU includes plans for the acquisition and renovation of a list of hotels in Morocco.
On the backdrop of the MoU signing ceremony, Morocco’s tourism minister inaugurated the Barcelo Tangier Hotel, a renovated property that was originally built in 1950.
The new hotel has the capacity to accommodate up to 400 guests, according to a statement from Morocco’s tourism ministry.
Speaking at the event, Jazouli said that the MoU is part of Morocco’s strategy to promote investment into tourism, emphasizing the role tourism plays in stimulating socio-economic development in Morocco.
Jazouli further noted that the presence of a major tourism operator in Morocco such as the Barcelo Group is important given its contribution to job creation.
For his part, Barcelo Vadell underscored his group’s willingness to contribute to the development of tourism in Tangier, pointing out that the group currently operates six hotels in major Moroccan cities including Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier.
The signing ceremony was attended by a number of high-profile officials including the Spanish Ambassador to Morocco Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner.
Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Diez-Hochleitner said that “the presence of a Spanish hotel chain in Tangier highlights the fact that we are countries that have much to do together.”
He added that the presence of ministers at this ceremony is a statement of the special attention Morocco has for Spanish investors. The diplomat then called on Spanish investors to take advantage of the business opportunities on offer in Morocco.
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