Rabat – Morocco aims to attract 2.3 million business tourists by 2030 as part of its efforts to strengthen the country’s position as a leading destination for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and corporate events, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor said on Tuesday.
Speaking before the House of Councillors, Ammor addressed the importance of business tourism, also known as the MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), within Morocco’s tourism roadmap.
She said the sector plays a key role in promoting tourist destinations, generating high economic value, and reducing the seasonal nature of tourism activity by attracting visitors throughout the year.
Business tourism has experienced significant growth in recent years and has attracted major investments across several Moroccan cities, according to the minister. Morocco currently has a national capacity of 135,000 seats dedicated to conferences, exhibitions, and business events.
As part of efforts to expand this capacity, Ammor announced that a new congress palace with a capacity of 5,000 seats is expected to open in Agadir by the end of 2026.
She also revealed that construction is underway on a world-class congress center in Marrakech with a capacity of 20,000 seats. The project is expected to strengthen Marrakech’s position in the global business tourism market and help the city rank among the world’s top ten destinations for conferences and business events.
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Meanwhile, in Casablanca, plans are being studied for a future congress center ahead of 2030. Discussions regarding the location and potential partnerships for the project are still ongoing.
The minister also announced the signing of an agreement to build a new exhibition center in Rabat. The project will require an investment of MAD 700 million and will be jointly financed by the Ministry of Tourism and local authorities in the Rabat-Sale-Kénitra region.
Ammor noted that large-scale infrastructure projects dedicated to business tourism require significant time to secure financing, complete investments, and carry out construction work. However, she reaffirmed the ministry’s willingness to support similar projects in regions that have the necessary potential for this type of tourism.
The development of business tourism is part of Morocco’s broader strategy to boost its tourism sector ahead of major international events, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.
Morocco has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure, including airports, hotels, transport networks, and cultural attractions, in recent years. The country has also launched ambitious plans to diversify its tourism offerings beyond traditional leisure travel by promoting business tourism, sports tourism, cultural tourism, and eco-tourism.
The government hopes these investments will help Morocco attract more international visitors, increase tourism revenues, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s position as one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations.
