During a meeting held Thursday in Rabat, Accor’s CEO, Sébastien Bazin reaffirmed Accor’s confidence in Morocco’s burgeoning tourism sector. He expressed the group’s enthusiastic intention to not only bolster its existing footprint but also to ramp up its investments significantly within the country. Bazin declared the group’s strong commitment to increasing its investments and presence in Morocco. This announcement followed his discussions with the Moroccan Prime Minister, Aziz Akhannouch, and the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor.
Accor is dedicated to supporting Morocco’s impressive tourism momentum and aims to play a key role in preparing the nation for upcoming major events. To achieve this, the group plans to implement a dual strategy: introducing innovative new brands to the Moroccan market while strengthening its already well-established brands in the region.
The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss potential investment avenues aligned with Morocco’s tourism roadmap, which emphasizes increasing accommodation capacity in anticipation of large-scale events like the 2030 World Cup. Prime Minister Akhannouch noted that such events are expected to drive a profound and lasting transformation in Moroccan tourism, with benefits extending well beyond 2030.
During the discussion, the significant measures Morocco has taken to propel its tourism industry were highlighted. The 2023-2026 tourism roadmap has already shown promising results. In 2023, Morocco welcomed a record 14.5 million tourists. The first half of 2024 has continued this upward trend with 7.4 million arrivals, marking an increase of 909,000 tourists compared to the same period in 2023. This exceptional growth is supported by substantial investments in hospitality infrastructure, exemplified by the opening of 135 new hotel units across the country in 2023.
The meeting underscored the Moroccan government’s unwavering commitment to developing its tourism sector through robust and enduring partnerships with major international groups like Accor.
