Under the directives of King Mohammed VI, Moroccan tourism achieves exceptional performance and solidifies its position as a strategic pillar for economic and social development
The Moroccan tourism sector has experienced unprecedented growth over the last quarter-century, thanks to a royal strategic vision that has positioned tourism as a fundamental lever for economic and social growth in the Kingdom.
The number of incoming tourists surged from 4.27 million in 2000 to 17.4 million in 2024, while revenues skyrocketed from 21.7 billion to 112.5 billion dirhams. The accommodation capacity increased from 70,000 to 400,000 beds, and direct employment opportunities doubled from 140,000 to 827,000 jobs. Total investments over 25 years exceeded 200 billion dirhams, with nearly half allocated to the accommodation sector, not counting major projects in air transport.
This strong dynamic has bolstered Morocco’s joint candidacy to host the 2030 World Cup, backed by a sophisticated network of tourism infrastructure.
Since ascending to the throne, King Mohammed VI has launched a series of significant initiatives to develop national tourism, including “Vision 2010,” “Vision 2020,” the establishment of a special COVID-19 fund, and promoting the Kingdom’s image during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, culminating in the new road map looking towards 2030, and a comprehensive mobilization to ensure the success of the World Cup bid in collaboration with Spain and Portugal.
These royal directives have facilitated a profound and structural transformation, reflected in precise indicators: tourist numbers have quadrupled, revenues have grown fivefold, and accommodation capacity and direct jobs have increased nearly sixfold, while investments surpassed 200 billion dirhams, significantly enhancing Morocco’s international profile.
“Vision 2010,” initiated in Marrakech in January 2001, established the foundations of an integrated strategy aiming to attract 10 million tourists by 2010, raise accommodation capacity to 230,000 beds, and train over 70,000 professionals in the tourism and hospitality sector through effective public-private partnerships.
In 2010, Morocco managed to attract approximately 9.3 million tourists, achieving 94% of the set goal, while accommodation capacity reached 175,000 beds, and tourism revenues soared to 56 billion dirhams, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributing to regional development.
This vision also helped modernize the institutional framework, encourage investments, expand tourism offerings, and improve air connectivity through an “open skies” policy, thus enhancing service quality and positioning Morocco as a competitive global destination.
