Morocco to Reopen Airspace as Tourism Industry Seeks Government Support

On Thursday, the Moroccan government announced the reopening of the airspace that had been closed since November 29, 2021 to passenger flights departing and arriving in Morocco as of February 7. "This decision comes in accordance with the legal provisions relating to the management of the state of health emergency and following the recommendations of the scientific and technical commission and taking into account the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the kingdom," it said in a statement. This is good news for tourism professionals. However, they need the support of the executive.

"Usually, we welcome foreign tourists arriving in Marrakech. We organize excursions for them all over the country. But for two months the airport has been closed. We closed the agency because we no longer have the means to pay the rent," laments Saïd Massoudi, whose agency is located in Marrakech, to RFI. According to the National Federation of the Moroccan Hotel Industry, between 20% and 30% of jobs have been destroyed due to the health restrictions imposed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The announcement by Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, of the granting of monthly aid of 2,000 DH to professionals in the sector does not fully reassure Saïd Massoudi. "I had to take out loans to get by. If the airport reopens, there will be work again and I can pay them back. Not everyone has received government support. Many people work without being declared. For them, the industry needs to take off again. That’s the most important thing!"

Like Saïd, many professionals, especially travel agencies, find themselves in debt. The representative bodies of the sector are calling on the state to support them as part of the reopening of Moroccan airspace.