Rabat – Major Spanish hotel chains are flocking to Morocco to capitalize on the country’s booming tourist industry, according to Spanish news outlet El Pais.
These hotel groups include Barcelo, Riu, Iberostar, and Melia. Currently managing 18 hotels and establishments in Morocco, the industry giants are poised to further expand in a market that has seen record-breaking numbers in 2023, which surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
Morocco shines as a stable destination both politically and socially compared to other regional countries, making it an attractive investment hub, the report notes.
The country welcomed an impressive 13.2 million tourists in the first 11 months of 2023, shattering the number recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barcelo, the hotel group at the forefront of this investment trend, currently operates eight hotels across six Moroccan cities including Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, Fes, and Agadir.
The group announced in October 2023 that it plans to introduce new 4 and 5-star hotels, with investments exceeding €80 million euros for the acquisition and renovation of two five-star establishments in Casablanca and Rabat, the report explains.
The Riu hotel chain, established in Morocco in 2002, operates two hotels and a palace in Agadir, along with two other properties in Marrakech and one in Taghazout.
Iberostar, currently managing three hotels in Morocco, reports positive growth, citing increased demand, particularly from European markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
The hotels’ officials frequently praised the Moroccan government’s commitment to the sector’s development and their implementation of effective measures to boost the tourism industry.
Melia, with an existing hotel in Marrakech, anticipates strong performance in 2024. The hotel chain is actively exploring new opportunities in Morocco and evaluating multiple projects to further expand its footprint in the country.
The wave of expansion is not limited to major hotel chains, as even smaller hotels, such as Inveravante have joined the trend, establishing five hotels in Tangier and Casablanca.
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