Morocco received a record 17.4 million tourists in 2024, up 20% compared with the previous year, with Moroccans living abroad accounting for nearly half the total, the tourism ministry said on Thursday.

Tourism accounts for about 7% of the North African country’s gross domestic product and is a key source of jobs and foreign currency.

The number of arrivals this year was two years ahead of target, the ministry said in a statement. It expects Morocco to receive 26 million tourists by 2030, when the country co-hosts the World Cup, together with Spain and Portugal.

Morocco has opened additional air routes to key tourist markets while promoting new destinations within the country and encouraging the renovation of hotels.

From January to November, tourism revenue rose 7.2% to a record 104 billion dirhams, according to Morocco’s foreign exchange regulator.