news date: Friday, June 30, 2006
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Around 6.5 million tourists will visit North African country by year end, against 5.8 million in 2005.
RABAT - Morocco's popularity as a tourist destination is on the rise, with earnings expected to be between 45 and 50 billion dirhams (4.1 to 4.5 billion euros) for 2006, against 3.7 billion euros last year, Tourism Minister Adil Douiri predicted Thursday.
Around 6.5 million tourists will visit the North African country by year end, against 5.8 million in 2005.
The minister estimated that tourism's contribution to gross domestic product would be 10 percent.
Foreign investment in tourism has developed in recent years, the biggest deal to date announced last March involving a global figure of nine billion dollars by the Emirati groups EMAAR and Dubai Holding for projects in Rabat, Marrakesh, Casablanca and Tangiers.
Tourism is one of Morocco's most important sources of revenue along with phosphates and earnings from Moroccans abroad.
