Morocco’s Tourism Industry Demands Action as Travel Restrictions Strain Key Markets

Barely installed, the new Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, must face the anger of her CNT partners.

In an open letter, the latter denounced the kingdom’s maintenance of all restrictions in addition to the requirement of the health pass, the suspension of flights to and from four major markets for the Moroccan destination (Germany, United Kingdom and the Netherlands in addition to Russia closed for several weeks).

According to President Hamid Bentahar, these measures have caused "a deep incomprehension among the operators in the sector, who see in this a rather reassuring signal on the timetable for the resumption of our activities, despite an undeniable improvement in the health situation in our Country," the statement said.

To find short-term solutions to this situation, the operators have invited the supervising minister to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the sector’s expectations. For now, they have stated 3 urgent measures that can support jobs and businesses.

These are the resumption of the CNSS CP scheme and its extension until March 31, 2022, the revision of the schedules for the payment of deferred and due social security contributions in 2020 and 2021, from April 2022 with a spread over 24 months, the reprofileing of the long-term banking schedule with the GPBM and strengthening of the CCG’s intervention, particularly for tourism transport and rental companies; as well as a tax moratorium for 2020 and 2021, for local taxes, in particular the professional tax, by June 1, 2022, with a spread over two years without fees or penalties.