Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Morocco seems keen to build on the success and popularity that the Atlas Lions achieved during the 2022 Qatar World Cup to reach the country’s ambitious tourism goals.
The Moroccan Ministry of Tourism’s strategy aims to attract 17.5 million tourists in three years and place Morocco among the top 10 tourist destinations in the world by 2026.
In light of the positive momentum that Morocco has been enjoying thanks to the performance of its national team in Qatar, the High Commission for Planning (HCP) projects that the tourism sector will witness a 51.3% growth in the first quarter of 2023.
HCP also expects the number of tourist arrivals and overnight stays to triple during the same period and for travel revenues to quadruple.
While presenting Morocco’s 2023-2026 tourism strategy on Tuesday, Director-General of Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONMT), Adel El Fakir, stressed the country’s keenness to capitalize on the Atlas Lions’ success to promote Morocco as a tourist destination.
Read also: ONMT Seeks to Position Morocco Among World’s Top 10 Destinations
El Fakir added that Morocco’s fairytale run in Qatar has had a positive impact on tourism activity in the country, noting that the number of tourist arrivals increased by 40% forty days after the end of the tournament.
A recent report by Dubai-based media intelligence provider CARMA reported a significant improvement in Morocco’s global perception in the wake of the World Cup, stressing that it is an opportunity for the country to “capitalize on the positive momentum and the surge in tourism and business.”
The report indicated that Morocco’s popularity on tourism websites has peaked, with visits to Morocco.com rising by 99%. Meanwhile, visitmorocco.com and Tripadvisor Morocco saw an increase of 34% and 154% respectively.
The Moroccan national team emerged as the 2022 World Cup’s most liked underdog, defying all odds and becoming the first Arab and African nation to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.
The Moroccan squad’s success was vociferously celebrated in Africa and the Arab World and made headlines worldwide.
