Morocco to invest 15 billion euros by 2020

Morocco plans to invest up to 15 billion euros by 2020 in the tourism sector, Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published today. Investments, he told the paper, will reach '15 billion euros from now until 2020, of which 80% will come from private sectors; we will invest in beach resorts and in our cultural heritage sites with the objective of attracting 11.5 million tourists starting from 2014'. Haddad appeared optimistic on the impact of the Arab Spring on tourism and stability. 'We will have 10 million tourists in 2012, some 2% more than in 2011', he said. 'Tourism is one of the top contributors to the GDP. The Arab Spring has shown that Morocco is different from other countries in the region. The democratic transition needs to take place without violence, within stability'. The minister also said Morocco is looking for solutions to make the airline sector more dynamic: 'We are noticing the comeback of charter flights with new clients from eastern Europe'. Haddad stressed he is determined to make sure 'Morocco remains the first destination outside Europe for French people'.