Morocco Launches Direct Flights from Tel Aviv to Boost Israeli Tourism

The first Israeli tourists arrived in Marrakech on Sunday, July 25, on board the planes of the Israeli companies El Al and Israir. These new routes follow discussions held by the Moroccan National Tourist Office for several months with Israeli tourism professionals, according to an ONMT press release. The office has worked to establish direct air links between Morocco and Israel after the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Sales and Commercial Vice Presidents of EL AL, tourism professionals, as well as about ten Israeli journalists and influencers, invited by the ONMT, have joined the ochre city. A memorandum of understanding has thus been signed between the ONMT and the national airline company El Al, defining the framework for the promotion of the Moroccan destination in joint marketing, underlines the same source. The guests will stay in Morocco until Thursday, July 29, where the ONMT has planned to organize a series of meetings between Moroccan and Israeli professionals, in Marrakech and Essaouira. Meetings that aim to generate commercial and media spin-offs for the Moroccan destination.

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EL Al will offer three flights per week between its Tel Aviv Ben Gurion base and Marrakech Menara airport. These flights will be operated on Boeing 737-900ER with a capacity of 16 passengers in Business class and 159 in Economy. From August 10, the Israeli company will also offer three weekly rotations to Mohammed V airport in Casablanca. Morocco expects the launch of flights from a third airline, Arkia, starting next September.

Professionals in the sector are betting on tourism from Israel to get back on their feet financially. In total, 50,000 to 80,000 Israeli tourists arrive annually in the kingdom. With the multiplication of air links between the two countries, 200,000 Israeli visitors are expected in the first year on the different segments: family or religious tourism, leisure tourism, business travel and MICE. The Moroccan diaspora is estimated at 800,000 people.