A partnership between Morocco and Gulf countries could see the country’s tourism sector revamped into one of the top 20 in the world. Integrated in the Morocco’s ambitious Vision 2020 agenda is the plan to have the country receive 20 million tourists annually. This could see the tourism earnings jump to US$16.3bn in a year.
This is according to a recent report by London-based Oxford Business Group (OBG). The report comes after Morocco’s Minister of Tourism Mr. Lahcen Haddad unveiled a number of real estate projects and tourism projects to be implemented by the country in partnership with the Gulf countries.
Already, Morocco is into building new facilities and infrastructure. Hotels in Saidia region should see the increment in bed capacity beyond the achieved 207, 500 beds in 2013. Morocco has a challenge to add the remainder of the rooms and beds to reach the targets of 2020. So far, US$728m has been set aside for building of hotels in Casablanca.
In addition to hotels, the government will expand highways and renovate railway lines. Already, a joint venture between Morocco and four Gulf states namely Wessal Capital, will inject US$1.10bn into tourism sector. Specifically, this fund would be used to improve tourism infrastructure in the Morocco capital Rabat, since, according to Haddad, Rabat was starting to become a great cultural destination.
The fund will see the establishment of property, including hotels, a marina, residential housing, urban green spaces, a museum and a theater, on a 110 hectare unit of land. The minister also said that the government plans to add US$1bn to renovate the urban areas of the city in addition to the US$1.10bn fund.
