Playing to the crowd
Ahead of co-hosting the 2030 Fifa World Cup, Morocco is preparing for an influx of guests from around the globe with the help of a range of benchmark initiatives in smart tourism and sustainability that are ripe for investment.
Identifying opportunity
SMIT
Co-hosting the 2030 Fifa World Cup will “put Morocco on the middle of the map,” says Imad Barrakad, CEO of Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT).
SMIT was established as an incubator and investment organisation in 2007. It has since supported more than 300 young tourism businesses in areas including cultural entertainment and culinary experiences.
Now, with the 2030 Fifa World Cup coming to Moroccan soil, the country is also pulling more foreign investors. Advantages include its buoyant economy, attractive tax incentives, political stability and a strategic location at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Foreign direct investment in Morocco’s tourism sector grew by 28 per cent between 2019 and 2023 – and with the world’s biggest sporting event imminent, that figure is only set to grow further.
SMIT works with foreign investors to smooth their path into the market. “We are helping them to spot the opportunities and partner with Morocco’s private sector,” says Barrakad.
Incubating talent
SMIT co-organises a national tourism start-up competition to foster new digital and sustainable tourism solutions in Morocco.
Life beyond football
Ministry of Tourism
It might only be a game but Morocco is taking its footballing opportunities seriously, crafting an ambitious plan for continued success.
Morocco’s tourism minister, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, has been handed a huge task: to lift the country into the top 15 global tourism destinations by 2030 and boost tourist numbers to 26 million by 2030 – a 50 per cent increase. New infrastructure, hotels and well-trained manpower for the hospitality industry were required. Total government investment reached $800m (€695m) between 2021 and 2026, much of it supporting airline connectivity, infrastructure and SMEs.
Visitors will be encouraged to travel outside the hotspots and, for example, enjoy kite-surfing in Dakhla, a balloon ride over Marrakech or a new ecology resort. “The World Cup is a golden opportunity to showcase our country and culture,” says Ammor. “We want to ensure that our visitors don’t only go to the stadiums.”
Morocco is, says Ammor, “a short flight but a long-haul destination”. Its temperate climate and proximity to Europe makes it a perfect winter destination, while each of its cities boasts unique character and history. Guests can already find everything from intimate riads to booming coastal resorts, and the new investments will expand the offerings even further. Morocco’s offerings include not only history, culture and cuisine, but increasingly a quality of service to match the world’s most luxurious destinations. “There is diversity here,” says Ammor. “Visitors can have many different experiences in one trip. The idea is to develop the whole country, not only the World Cup host cities.”
