Thirteen new golf courses are set to open in Morocco in the next three years, according to the country’s tourism authorities.

The country currently has 27 courses, but its Vision 2010 and Vision 2020 strategies call for rapid expansion. Figures released by the Moroccan National Tourist Office show that golf tourism has increased by 40 per cent in the last three years, with the number of golfing visitors exceeding 170,000.

The office has named 2011 as the Year of Golf in Agadir. The city has already hosted two professional tournaments this year, the European Tour’s Hassan II Golf Trophy and the Lalla Meryem Cup on the Ladies European Tour.