Morocco needs thousands of new hotel rooms if it wants to meet its tourism goals before the 2030 FIFA World Cup. That challenge will be at the centre of the 6th Hospitality Innovation Summit, which takes place in Rabat on 10 and 11 June. The event will bring together more than 500 hotel executives, investors, developers and architects to discuss projects that are already in the pipeline and help move them forward.
The summit comes as Morocco ramps up preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
The government wants to attract 26 million tourists a year by 2030. To make that possible, the country will need to add more than 150,000 hotel rooms over the next four years.
New hotels are planned across major cities and tourist destinations, including Rabat, Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir and Fez.
At the same time, Morocco is also investing in its existing hotel stock. Through the Cap Hospitality Programme, the government has allocated 4 billion dirhams to renovate and upgrade 25,000 hotel rooms nationwide.
Organisers say the summit is designed to help decision-makers connect directly with potential partners and suppliers. Instead of focusing on broad discussions, the event aims to support projects that are already being developed.
The event is organised by GBB and will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr.
It is supported by the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) and the National Council of the Order of Architects of Morocco (CNOA).
Several of Morocco’s biggest developers are expected to attend, including RISMA, Atlas Hospitality, Alliances, ADDOHA, CGI, YNNA Holding and Eagle Hills Morocco.
International hotel groups taking part include Accor, Marriott International, Hilton, Radisson, Banyan Tree and Dusit.
Financial institutions such as Ithmar Capital, the International Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Kasada Capital will also participate.
Architecture and design firms involved in hospitality projects, including Zaha Hadid Architects, HKS, WATG, Rockwell Group and Pierre-Yves Rochon, are also expected to attend.
The summit’s theme this year is “Hosting the Future”. Discussions will focus on hotel development, investment, design, technology and sustainability as Morocco works to expand its tourism infrastructure ahead of 2030.
According to GBB, its events have helped facilitate more than 28,000 business meetings across the region, connecting project owners with suppliers and investors.
