Morocco Expects Surge in Israeli Tourism as Direct Flights Set to Launch

Tourism stakeholders, after nearly 10 months of inactivity due to the coronavirus, are preparing to relaunch the sector with this good news. The upcoming authorization of direct air links between Morocco and Israel will allow the tourism industry to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to a new source market, reports Médias24.

According to an industry professional who requested anonymity, receiving this large number of visitors is "quite feasible with the prerequisite of air travel, not to mention the promotional actions that will soon be undertaken." For this tourism player, the 70,000 Israelis who visit Morocco each year are often welcomed without any organization or structuring of their market. "From 2021 onwards, there will be decision-makers such as tour operators or airlines that will allow these air flows to be managed," he added.

While counting on the three Israeli airlines and Royal Air Maroc, tourism operators are confident for 2021 and hope to reach 200,000 tourists. "It’s an excellent start when you know it took four years of work before reaching the figure of 140,000 Chinese visitors in 2019," estimated the same source.

As soon as this major operation is launched, tourism professionals want to conquer the million potential tourists that the Moroccan Jewish diaspora represents. They also count on the authorities for the opening of air links as soon as possible. "While it is difficult to say when the flights will start, it will depend on the responsiveness of the 3 Israeli companies (El Al, Israir Airlines and Arkia) but given their recent statements, the launch will be operational in 2 or 3 months," supports the aviation expert, who adds that it will take 10 to 15 days to have more visibility.