Maritime Travel Costs Surge as Morocco Reopens Borders for Expats

Already the impact of the suspension of maritime connections with Spain? "The expenses to spend the holidays in Morocco this year will double. The loss of Spain will be offset by what we will have to spend to go to Sète," said Mohamed Hajji, a resident in northern Spain, to TelQuel. The route that will be taken will not be easy for families with children. "The distance between the cities of southern Spain and France is very long, and a journey that normally takes 1 hour by boat will take 36 hours this year," says the MRE.

According to his explanations, the journey to the port of Sète from the cities of southern Spain can cost up to 2,000 euros (about 21,000 dirhams) for families, including one night in a hotel, fuel costs, food, etc. Mohamed Hajji is outraged by the soaring prices of the crossing: "The one-way ticket, which was priced at 500 euros (about 5,000 dirhams) before the pandemic, has quadrupled to reach 2,000 euros today. This only includes the price of embarking the car and a small room to sleep." As a result, he estimates that a family trip could cost 4,000 euros (about 42,000 dirhams), "which means that families have to spend more than 80,000 dirhams just for the round-trip crossing".

The surge in prices is disappointing some MREs. "Most of us refuse to travel alone leaving our family behind, and the long distance will prevent us from spending the holidays in Morocco, especially since the costs will double," says Karim, a resident of Malaga. In Italy, the observation is the same. Zouhair Boufarissi, a young Moroccan working in the tourism sector, says that the increase in ticket prices was recorded about an hour after Morocco’s decision to open its borders on June 15. "During the pandemic, I obtained an exceptional authorization to spend a vacation period in Morocco with my little family. Comparing the prices during this period at the end of last year, and now, I assure you that there is an increase of 1,000 to 1,500 euros," he explains.

France is no exception. "Booking a ticket during the month of August is not possible, and the tickets available during the month of July are very expensive, and only include the reservation of a seat for a 36-