Morocco to Spend $450 Million on Discounted Travel for Expats Returning Home

4.5 billion DH. According to the head of government, this is what Morocco will lose after lowering the prices of plane or boat tickets booked by MREs wishing to return to the country this summer as part of the Marhaba 2021 operation, reports Hespress. An enormous loss for the State. The decision of King Mohammed VI to lower ticket prices will apply for three months.

Recalling the number of Moroccans living abroad (5 million, of whom 85% live in Europe, or about 12% of the Moroccan population), Saâdeddine El Othmani said that "180,000 have already returned to Morocco since June 15, of whom 65% within about a week". According to him, the reduction in boat ticket prices will cost the State 2 billion. In total, 9 ships mobilized: 8 ships departing from 3 European cities, Genoa in Italy, and Sète and Marseille in France, and the 9th departing from Marseille and Genoa and serving Tanger Med.

The initial capacity of the 8 ships is around 20,000 passengers and 5,000 cars per week, said El Othmani, and 4,000 passengers and 1,000 cars per week for the last one mobilized. According to estimates, this fleet made available to MREs should see an attendance of 650,000 passengers and 180,000 cars. "The total capacity of these ships will increase to around 48,000 passengers and more than 15,000 cars per week" for the summer period between June 15 and September 15, 2021, he said. A new line from Portugal will also be opened.

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As for the subsidies granted for Royal Air Maroc (RAM) plane tickets for the benefit of MREs, they will cost the State 2.5 billion dirhams. According to the head of government, the seats made available will reach 2.5 million seats for the period from June 15 to September 15, "compared to 358,000 seats during the same period last year". The operation to lower plane ticket prices has been a great success. Already 45% of the total seat capacity has been booked as of June 21, which represents 1,080,000 tickets.

According to Saâdeddine El Othmani, a challenge remains to be met: to successfully carry out the Marhaba operation while preserving the achievements made in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.