Morocco is betting that its record tourism boom can be turned into a lasting investment engine, telling global leisure and entertainment investors this week that the surge is structural, not a post-pandemic spike, as it races to build new attractions ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
“We are at the right moment to invest,” Imad Barrakad, head of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Engineering and Investment, told delegates at the country’s first IAAPA Morocco Summit in Marrakech. “All the fundamentals are in place, and the demand is there.”
Morocco welcomed close to 20 million tourists in 2025, a record that officials say reflects years of state led investment planning rather than a short term rebound.
The government wants to use the World Cup in 2030 as a deadline to lock in higher value tourism assets, particularly in entertainment, leisure parks and immersive attractions that lengthen stays and boost spending.
Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor said recent large scale events had already tested Morocco’s capacity.
“What the Africa Cup of Nations showed is that Morocco can deliver infrastructure, hospitality and security at international standards,” she said, adding that arrivals last year were 53 percent higher than in 2019.
The government’s tourism roadmap, valued at about $600 million, targets 26 million visitors by 2030 and is backed by incentives under Morocco’s new investment charter that can cover up to 30 percent of capital expenditure.
Officials say the focus is shifting from hotel capacity alone to experiences that keep visitors longer.
Barrakad said SMIT has moved beyond an administrative role to act as a deal maker, packaging projects, securing land and reducing risk for investors. “We work project by project, territory by territory,” he said. “Our role is to turn opportunities into bankable investments.”
Entertainment projects currently being developed range from about five million euros to more than 300 million euros, according to SMIT, creating entry points for both regional players and global operators. More than 1,500 leisure projects are being accompanied by the agency, with over 100 already operating.
Officials said the World Cup provides demand certainty that allows investors to commit earlier. “This is not just about hosting an event,” Ammor said. “It is about building an ecosystem that will generate value for decades.”
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.