TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Morocco accelerates tourism strategy by adding 25,000 hotel rooms

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2026

The rooms will be added at an ‘unprecedented’ scale and speed ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting.

Morocco is continuing its strategy to position itself as a premier global tourist destination by unveiling a plan to add 25,000 new hotel rooms ahead of the country co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The rooms will be added via 700 planned projects in the country’s major cities, with funding coming from various investors. Around 15% of the new properties will be operated by international hotel brands.

Imad Barrakad, head of the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (known as SMIT), told Bloomberg news agency that the scale and speed of the initiative is unprecedented in the country’s history.

Photo: MAG Photography from Pexels

In his statement to Bloomberg, Barrakad pointed to a shift in strategy, moving away from a focus on visitor numbers toward a model that values quality and long-term impact.

“Morocco is concentrating on attracting the right investors for the right projects, guided by a vision that will endure over time,” he stated.

The North African nation had almost 20-million visitors in 2025 and earned approximately US$14.8-billion in tourism revenue.

Upgrade the country’s hospitality and leisure sectors

Its tourism development strategy, unveiled last year and spearheaded by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, aims to significantly upgrade and expand the country’s hospitality and leisure sectors.

Key components of the initiative include the construction of brand-new hotel complexes tailored to international standards, the development of world-class amusement parks, and the extensive modernisation of more than 62,000 hotel rooms across the kingdom.

The strategy envisages the 2030 soccer World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal, serving as a catalyst for large-scale investments.

Morocco has committed to upgrading stadiums, transport networks and urban infrastructure to accommodate the expected influx of global visitors. These projects aim to support the tournament and leave a lasting impact on Morocco’s cities.

Speaking at the time of the tourism development strategy launch in 2025, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, noted: “This is more than just a World Cup preparation; it’s a nationwide transformation of our tourism industry.

“We aim to create lasting value, not only for visitors but for Moroccan citizens who will benefit from job creation, economic growth and enhanced infrastructure.”

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.

Yellow humanoid robot at a bakery counter inspecting a display of donuts on display in front of glass cases

Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI

Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.