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Doha – With Morocco set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, the North African country is ramping up efforts to strengthen its travel and tourism sector. However, the expected influx of football fans has tourism officials concerned about the risk of overtourism in popular destinations.
Speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai this week, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, emphasized the need for wise development to avoid overtourism.
“We’ve seen overtourism around the world, so we need to make sure we develop wisely. We need to make sure we don’t think only about the World Cup and the six cities,” Ammor stated, as reported by Skift.
Morocco expects to welcome 26 million tourists in the year it co-hosts the World Cup, nearly doubling the 14.5 million travelers seen in 2023. To accommodate this surge, the country is expanding three major airports: Marrakech, Casablanca, and Agadir, while also adding 150,000 new hotel rooms by 2030.
Imad Barrakad, chief executive of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development, emphasized the importance of developing infrastructure early to accommodate the expected influx of visitors.
“The World Cup will happen in six cities, and we have to develop the infrastructure to get ready for the event. It is very important to have more hotels and more activities to do and it’s something that we have to work on early,” Barrakad stated on the sidelines of the summit, according to The National.
The country is also seeking foreign investment to develop hotels, theme parks, beach resorts, and exhibition centers. “We are very close to the GCC market and investors from the GCC are welcome to invest. We are here to help them,” Barrakad added.
To attract investors, Morocco launched its Investment Charter in 2023, offering incentives such as government cash contributions, VAT exemptions, and custom duty exemptions. The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development is targeting an increase in foreign direct investment in the tourism industry from 20% to 30% by 2026.
Read also: Morocco’s Tourism Revenues Reach Unprecedented High in Foreign Currency
Morocco’s 2023-2026 strategic roadmap aims to boost the country’s travel and tourism sector, which currently contributes 7% to its GDP. In the first half of 2024, the country welcomed 7.4 million tourists, reflecting a 14% rise compared to the same period in 2023.
The aviation industry is at the heart of this growth. IATA Director General Willie Walsh highlighted the sector’s potential at the IATA World Safety and Operations Conference in Marrakech on Tuesday.
“Aviation is a major driver of Morocco’s economy, facilitating travel, trade, and economic development,” Walsh said. “The ambitious growth plans of both Royal Air Maroc and the National Airports Office (ONDA) present a bright future for aviation in Morocco with the potential to play a key role in linking Africa to Europe and North America.”
To support this growth, national carrier Royal Air Maroc plans to expand its fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037, while the country’s airport capacity is set to double, reaching over 90 million passengers by 2035. Sustainability is a central focus of Morocco’s aviation strategy, with Royal Air Maroc committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
Despite the devastating earthquake in 2023 that claimed around 3,000 lives, Morocco is moving forward with its tourism ambitions. The government provided incentives to hotels for repairs and renovations, and major industry players such as the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons have opened properties in the country.
As Morocco prepares for the 2030 World Cup and the expected tourism boom, Minister Ammor told Skift that the biggest challenge will be deploying the roadmap across the country.
“Morocco has really diverse experiences, we need to make sure all our regions benefit. This is a challenge. We tend to focus on where it’s easy, like Marrakech, but all our regions need to benefit,” she said.
By promoting diverse experiences and investing in infrastructure, Morocco aims to ensure that the entire nation benefits from the growth in tourism while minimizing the risk of overtourism in popular destinations.
