Morocco Eyes Tourism Revival as Vaccine Rollout Nears, Health Passport Considered

"This is indeed good news. Thanks to the vaccination campaign, even if we should maintain some restrictive measures, tourism could regain some of its breath starting in April 2021," he told Maroc Hebdo. In the eyes of the official, the start of the vaccination campaign in the United Kingdom and France (two of Morocco’s main tourist-generating markets) starting in January 2021 also represents an opportunity for Moroccan tourism operators.

According to him, the requirement to have a health passport, proving vaccination, is in itself a very important element, as it will allow better aircraft occupancy. There will be more tourist arrivals. It also constitutes a guarantee of safety. "The health passport is a decision emanating from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The objective is to be sure that the host country does not receive high-risk and asymptomatic passengers, but also and above all to maximize the number of aircraft seats, as we will no longer be obliged to maintain social distancing," explained Mr. Zemrani.

He recalled that this vaccination passport is not new in air transport. "Saudi Arabia requires it for Hajj and Umrah stays and it is also recommended when traveling to certain African countries to avoid being infected by tropical diseases," he said. He sees no disadvantage in this passport being required in the kingdom’s tourist accommodation establishments.

"It could be a good decision to make this passport official in several sectors and establishments such as hotels and restaurants. Even if this passport is not mandatory, it will be since access to several services will be conditioned by the presentation of this passport," commented the official.