Morocco reopens its borders on Monday, February 7, 2022 after more than 2 months of closure.
Indeed, facing the spread of the virus, Morocco had closed its airspace on November 29, 2021 while health restrictions had even been reinforced.
It was a blow to Morocco’s tourism sector ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Faced with the pressure of the tourism sector heading towards bankruptcy and the distress of Moroccans stranded abroad, the authorities decided to unblock the situation:
“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 committee, taking into consideration the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the kingdom,” the statement indicates.
The government has furthermore extended the state of emergency until February 28, knowing that it has been in force since 2020.
The border closure dealt a heavy blow to the tourism, catering, and hotel industry, a sector vital to the Moroccan economy.
The Moroccan tourism sector was very strongly shaken by an unprecedented 71% drop in tourist arrivals in 2021 compared to 2019. The losses, over two years, amount to 20 million travelers and 90 billion dirhams (80 million euros) in foreign currency revenues.
The government launched an emergency plan of 2 billion dirhams to preserve jobs and help tourism businesses cope with the financial constraints due to the interruption of activity. This plan is considered too weak and does not compensate for the losses.
The government has also scheduled an international advertising campaign to promote Morocco as a destination and bring tourists back.
This millennia-old country rich in history has overcome countless crises and has always known how to face adversity. The reopening of the borders and the resumption of activity is good news and will allow Morocco and those who love this country to come together again.
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