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A new World Bank report “Climate Change Impacts on the Blue Economy in Morocco: Prospects for Jobs in Coastal Tourism,” warns that Morocco’s coastal tourism sector, a key driver of the economy, could lose up to 32% of its jobs by 2035 due to the impacts of climate change
A new World Bank report “Climate Change Impacts on the Blue Economy in Morocco: Prospects for Jobs in Coastal Tourism,” warns that Morocco’s coastal tourism sector, a key driver of the economy, could lose up to 32% of its jobs by 2035 due to the impacts of climate change. It estimates that tourist expenditures could decline by between 8% and 18% by 2035 if no climate resilience measures are taken. The accommodation and food segment of coastal tourism was estimated to face the highest job losses, more than 32% under the upper bound of the scenario.
This alarming prospect is due to the labor-intensive nature of this segment. Small enterprises, often lacking the financial capacity to cope with large shocks, are particularly vulnerable, it added. The analysis revealed that restaurants and hotels would suffer the largest relative losses, followed by services for entertainment and arts and the transport sector. Job losses in coastal tourism, especially in hotels and restaurants, could also negatively affect female labor force participation.
Coastal tourism currently provides more than 300,000 jobs across all age groups in Morocco and accounts for no more than 30% of total tourism. The main coastal tourism regions are Agadir, Tangier-Tetouan, and Casablanca. In the Souss-Massa region, coastal tourism around Agadir accounts for 70% of tourism demand.
To prevent this a “paradigm shift” away from traditional “sea, sun and sand” tourism toward a more sustainable and resilient model. This includes developing ecotourism products, building climate resilience into new tourism infrastructure, using nature-based solutions to protect coasts, and enhancing the capacity of tourism businesses to take climate action. Climate-resilient coastal tourism will support socioeconomic development, create new jobs, and drive economic growth. The government has an opportunity to build resilience by mainstreaming climate actions as part of implementing the Tourism Strategic Roadmap 2023–2026.
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The report was funded by PROBLUE, a multi-donor trust fund housed at the World Bank that supports the sustainable development of marine and coastal resources. Its findings aim to inform discussions with the Moroccan government on strengthening coastal tourism’s resilience under the ongoing Blue Economy Program for Results framework supported by the World Bank.
