Morocco Passes Emergency Tourism Bill Amid COVID-19 Crisis

After several amendments, the draft law 30-20 defining special provisions for travel contracts, tourist stays and air passenger transport contracts has been adopted. Presenting the bill, the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, said it was important and urgent to adopt such a project because of the impact of the spread of covid-19 on the tourism and air transport sectors. The bill, she continued, is intended to limit the cessation of economic activity and its impact on jobs by helping to reduce the pressure on service providers.

With the adoption of this bill, the government intends to save tourism and air transport companies threatened with bankruptcy, said Nadia Fettah Alaoui. To this end, a legal framework will be implemented by the ministry to help travel agencies, customers and tourism companies. Heads of tourist and air transport, passengers facing financial and socio-economic difficulties will also be taken into account by the system.

The provisions of the bill are only applicable for a determined period in accordance with a series of well-defined conditions. They concern travel contracts, tourist stays and air transport contracts scheduled during the period from March 1 to September 30, 2020 and "which have been canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus," the minister specified in conclusion.