• Three tourism development contracts signed in Dakhla, Boujdour and Tarfaya
• Projects to focus on leisure activities including kitesurfing, windsurfing and quad biking
• Initiative supports national target to assist 1,700 tourism businesses by 2026

Morocco has signed three new tourism development contracts in its southern provinces, covering projects in Dakhla, Boujdour and Tarfaya. The move comes as the country advances toward its target of supporting 1,700 tourism businesses by 2026 under a national program aimed at strengthening the sector and diversifying its offerings backed by an estimated $71 million (MAD 720 million) investment envelope.

The announcement was made on Monday, April 21 by Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor, who confirmed the signing of the contracts in a public statement. According to the minister, the projects will support leisure and adventure tourism activities such as kitesurfing, windsurfing, jet skiing and quad biking, designed to highlight the Saharan landscape and expand tourism experiences beyond traditional destinations. She added that the projects are expected to generate more than 150 direct and indirect jobs, contributing to local economic activity in the southern provinces.

The newly signed projects are part of a broader national framework to modernize and expand Morocco’s tourism sector through financial incentives and technical support. The program provides investment bonuses of up to 35% for leisure projects and 30% for accommodation, while also promoting digital transformation and sustainable tourism practices.

Early implementation results point to ongoing sector restructuring. In Agadir, a key pilot destination, six calls for expressions of interest have already supported the renovation of approximately 7,721 hotel beds, representing about one-third of the city’s accommodation capacity. The city also recorded over 1.16 million visitors in the first ten months of 2024, marking double-digit growth compared to previous years.

Authorities are now seeking to extend this momentum to emerging destinations such as Dakhla, Boujdour and Tarfaya, positioning them as Saharan-reflecting tourism frontiers through experience-driven and investment-backed projects.

Official figures show that Morocco welcomed nearly 20 million tourists in 2025, exceeding earlier roadmap targets, while tourism revenues reached about 138 billion dirhams ($13.7 billion).  The sector also supported approximately 894,000 direct jobs in 2025, surpassing employment projections under the national tourism roadmap and reinforcing tourism as a key labor-intensive sector in the economy.

Go Siyaha itself has already supported around 1,000 tourism projects nationwide, including accommodation, eco-tourism and leisure-based initiatives, as part of efforts to diversify tourism offerings and stimulate regional development.

The new contracts align with Morocco’s ongoing push to strengthen tourism beyond traditional hubs such as Marrakech and Casablanca by developing coastal and desert destinations in the south. Dakhla, already a major kitesurfing destination, and Tarfaya are among the southern areas targeted by Morocco’s recent tourism development efforts, particularly in sports and nature-based tourism.

By Cynthia Ebot Takang