Morocco is set to boost its hotel capacity by 20%, according to an announcement by the country’s tourism minister, meaning an additional 60,000 beds by the 2030 FIFA Men’s World Cup, which the Moroccans will co-host alongside Portugal and Spain.
The news comes as Morocco enjoys the halo from its successful recent World Cup run, having reached the quarter-finals in the 2026 tournament, building on a semi-final attempt in 2022 that was a world first for any African or Arab team.
🚨 BREAKING: The first six teams have officially secured their places at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
— Speedline (@speedlne) July 20, 2026
🇪🇸 Spain
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇵🇾 Paraguay
As tournament hosts, all six nations qualify automatically. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority… pic.twitter.com/78jNIBZmji
The aim is to transform that spotlight into tangible growth for the Moroccan tourism sector, which, Reuters reports, currently represents approximately seven percent of GDP. Over190 billion dirhams (around €45 billion) have been earmarked by the government to expand rail, road, and air connectivity, as well as building essential venues such as stadia and supporting ground infrastructure in time for the 2030 competition.
One of those projects will be the construction of the world’s largest football stadium, in Casablanca, with a 115,000-capacity, described by the architects as “a cornerstone of King Mohammed VI’s vision to develop Morocco’s football infrastructure that will elevate Morocco to the highest global platform of sporting infrastructure development.”
Explaining the rationale behind all the investment, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor told Reuters: “We see the 2030 FIFA World Cup as an accelerator, not an end in itself.” The North African country has already achieved impressive acceleration in the sector, having added 45,000 hotel beds in four years.
The investments are already paying off. In 2025, Morocco welcomed nearly 20 million tourists to take the title of Africa’s most visited destination, and the central bank is forecasting industry revenues of a record 161 billion dirhams for 2027, from 138 billion dirhams in 2025, growth of over 16%.
2030 World Cup 🇲🇦🇪🇸🇵🇹👀 :
— FWC30 (@FWC30_Central) July 20, 2026
The construction in the biggest stadium of the next world cup is ongoing, with 115,000 seats, Hassan 2 Stadium in Casablanca is one of 3 candidates to host the 2030 world cup final 👀🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/6vPW1fCP9j
The goal by 2030 is to attract 26 million visitors through a strategy to tap into Chinese, Middle Eastern, and US source markets, thanks to improved air connectivity, Ammor said. However, officials remain conscious of the need to achieve that growth sustainably, spreading footfall beyond the well-known attractions of Agadir and Marrakech by, for example, better promoting capital Rabat, especially as a MICE hub. “We need to make investments that create lasting value for Moroccan tourism,” the minister explained.
Rabat boasts historic monuments and museums, but is often viewed more as a quiet, political and diplomatic capital than a vibrant North African escape. It is, however, set to benefit from expanded sports infrastructure ahead of the 2030 tournament, turning it into a major host city for the tournament, which, in turn, is expected to generate buzz that will translate into longer-term tourism gains.
