Morocco aiming to almost double international tourists to 26 million by 2030
Ilaria Grasso MacolaMorocco is on course to almost double its annual international tourist numbers by 2030, according to tourism minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor.
Ammor told TTG@WTM the country’s aim was to grow from 14 million visitors this year to 17.5 million by 2026, eventually reaching its target of 26 million tourists by 2030.
To do that, the government is investing significantly in promoting Morocco as a tourism hotspot, not just in the European market – responsible for 70% of international tourists – but also in longer-haul source markets like Asia and Latin America.
“We are very aggressive in other markets, especially those that have shown interest in Morocco after the World Cup success,” said Ammor.
“I’m talking about Australia, India, Brazil, South Korea – countries we weren’t targeting before. We’re really diversifying our marketing.”
Authorities are also upping the focus on experiences over destinations, while ramping up investment in accommodation, entertainment and air connections.
Ammor said Morocco would need to increase bed numbers by 100,000, as well as double its air connections and broaden its experiences if it is to hit its 2030 targets.
“In the past, we just had traditional cultural tours or beach offerings, while now we are really diversifying to answer travellers’ needs,” she added.
These include more sport and sustainable offerings, said Ammor, with people gravitating towards “more outdoor, authentic experiences with local communities”.
Growth from the UK, Morocco’s third-largest market, will contribute to the growth to 26 million annual visitors, Ammor added.
“The idea is to double the number of Britons to 1.2 million a year,” she said. “That’s why we are here [at WTM London] working with British partners.”
Ilaria Grasso Macola
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