Morocco Embraces Kosher Tourism to Attract Israeli Visitors Amid Pandemic Recovery

"With the rapprochement between the two countries, there is a huge tourism potential," Joseph Gabison, founder of the To be club, a kosher vacation club in Marrakech, told TelQuel. This French of Tunisian origin is betting on a myriad of traditional activities and entertainment, courses given by rabbis and a kosher catering service to attract Israelis. "At the meat level, everything is locally sourced, we are very well supplied in Morocco," he specifies.

One of the bases of the practice of the Jewish religion is: eating kosher. Just like Joseph Gabison, Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, the star rabbi of Casablanca who wants to build links between the Moroccan Muslim and Jewish communities, is investing in kosher. "My work since we have been settled here is to put in place the rabbi’s strategy. One part concerns the implementation of a good kashrut for Morocco," said Menahem Pinto, the rabbi’s brother.

In total, 50,000 to 70,000 Israeli tourists were visiting Morocco by transiting through other countries before the Covid-19 pandemic. "For 2022, the goal is to welcome 300,000 people. We are almost multiplying by six," rejoices Joseph Gabison. With the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel, operators expect to receive more than 200,000 Israeli tourists each year. After the Israeli companies El Al and Israir, it is the turn of Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and Air Arabia to launch direct flights between the kingdom and the Hebrew state in early October.