Morocco: tourism professionals demand the reopening of borders


Tour operators demonstrate against the closing of borders on January 26, 2022 in Rabat (AFP / FADEL SENNA)

“Open the borders”. Professionals in the tourism industry in Morocco demonstrated on Wednesday to denounce the closing of borders, in force for two months to curb the spread of the Omicron variant but which weighs down this vital sector of the economy.

Gathered in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism in Rabat at the call of the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAV), nearly 200 tour operators called for the reopening of the borders, closed since November 29 and at least until January 31.

“The closure deals us a very hard blow since we are now at a standstill while our expenses are still fixed,” lamented Mimoun Azzouzi, owner of a travel agency in Temara, near the capital.

“We were forced to close because of the pandemic and despite that, we maintained the wages of our workers,” he told AFP.

These tour operators say they are “excluded” from the tourism support plan of two billion dirhams (190 million euros) approved on January 18 by the government.

The aid provides for the payment of an allowance of 2,000 dirhams (190 EUR) per month during the first quarter of 2022 for all employees in this sector, which accounted for nearly 7% of Moroccan GDP in 2019.

The State has also decided to allocate one billion dirhams (EUR 95 million) in support of hoteliers to prepare for the resumption of activity (maintenance, renovation, training, etc.).

These measures do not appease the anger of operators who also demonstrated on Wednesday in Marrakech, the tourist capital of the Cherifian kingdom, as well as in other tourist cities such as Essaouira, on the Atlantic coast, Erfoud and Zagora (south), near the Algerian border, according to local media.

“The people want the borders reopened,” chanted hundreds of protesters, if not more, in Marrakech, according to videos posted on Facebook.

Questioned in parliament on Monday, the head of diplomacy Nasser Bourita considered that it was “important to reopen the air borders as it is important to follow the evolution of the pandemic”.

“The opening of borders is important but remains linked to the guarantee of the necessary conditions, able to preserve the health of visitors and Moroccan citizens”, pleaded Mr. Bourita.

The closure of airspace has raised protests from the large Moroccan diaspora, especially since private jet companies operate at exorbitant prices – more than 10,000 euros per passenger for a one-way trip to Morocco – according to information sites and testimonials on social networks.

If the peak of contaminations with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 seems to have been reached during the week of January 17 to 23, according to the Ministry of Health, the authorities are worried about an increase in deaths and cases in intensive care.

The government must decide by January 31 on a possible reopening of the borders.

Other demonstrations are planned in the event of the continued closure of Moroccan airspace.

© 2022 AFP

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