Morocco Emerges as Top Non-European Destination for Spanish Tourists, Despite Pandemic Challenges

According to Mohamed Sofi, Morocco is considered "the meeting point between Europe and Africa and currently, the first destination for Spanish travelers outside Europe". 2.2 million Spanish tourists visited Morocco in 2019, an increase of 6% over the previous year. In total, the kingdom welcomed 13 million tourists that year, 17% of whom were from Spain, he explains to the specialized site Gaceta del Turismo.

The tourism sector in Morocco as in Spain has been severely affected by the Covid-19 health crisis. To support the sector and accelerate its recovery, he specifies, a program contract was signed on August 3, 2020. It covers the period 2020-2022 and aims to give new momentum to the sector and lay the foundations for sustainable transformation.

Mohamed Sofi also recalled that since September 6, 2020, Morocco has reopened its air borders to professionals and foreigners not subject to the visa requirement, under certain conditions, namely: a printed invitation with the letterhead of the Moroccan company for professionals coming from abroad and a confirmed hotel reservation in a classified hotel and a tourist establishment at the airport for tourists. They must also present a negative PCR test dated less than 72 hours and their health passport upon arrival in Morocco.

When asked whether Morocco is now a "safe destination", the director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office in Spain emphasizes that since the beginning of the crisis, Morocco has taken all the health measures to guarantee the safety of its citizens and also of its visitors since the reopening of the borders. Even if the state of health emergency is still in effect in the country, strict control is guaranteed at all city entrances, he reassures.

For Mohamed Sofi, the prospects are good for the sector, both in Spain and in Morocco. "Morocco is an international destination close to Spain. We are seeing a gradual return of Spanish tourism, with an increase in inquiries reaching our offices," he says, before specifying that in addition to Iberia, which has resumed its flights to Morocco after 9 months of interruption, the airlines operating in Morocco from Spain such as Royal Air Maroc, Air Arabia, Ryanair and Vueling have also resumed service. Others like Binter and Air Europa will resume between spring and summer.

The director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office in Spain concludes the interview on an optimistic note, confident that Morocco, with its many charms (its rich cultural heritage being part of the UNESCO World Heritage), the diversity of its landscapes and the legendary hospitality of its inhabitants, has all the assets to continue to make tourism a tool for development and economic growth.