Moroccan Diaspora Summer Return Falls Short of Expectations Amid Travel Costs, COVID Concerns

The Marhaba Operation, aimed at facilitating the entry of MREs into Morocco to spend their summer vacation there, has resumed this year after two years of cancellation due to the health and diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco. Between June 15, the start date of the Operation, and August 29, 1,117,736 MREs and 270,754 vehicles entered Morocco through the ports of Tanger Med, Tanger-Ville, Nador and Al Hoceima, announced Mustapha Baitas, spokesman for the Moroccan government last week, noting a respective decrease of 16% and 15% compared to 2019.

For the return phase, 885,465 MREs and 197,754 vehicles embarked from Moroccan ports, a decrease of 14% and 17% respectively compared to 2019, Baitas said, adding that the port of Tanger Med recorded the largest flow, with 673,419 MREs and 177,282 vehicles for the outward phase and 498,788 MREs and 119,374 vehicles for the return phase as of August 29. In total, 2.8 million MREs participated in the Marhaba Operation this year, said Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. A number far from the 3,242,970 MREs and 760,215 vehicles that arrived in Morocco in 2019, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.

Despite the easing of health measures and a global advertising campaign to promote Moroccan tourism, the influx of MREs did not reach the pre-pandemic level (2019). The reason is the rise in travel costs due to the surge in fuel prices (for car travel) and the increase in airfares, which has curbed the arrival of MREs in Morocco this summer. In addition, the increase in remittances from MREs to Morocco could also justify this low flow of arrivals in the kingdom this summer.