The president of Moroccan employers, Chakib Alj, recently announced that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, responded favorably to the CGEM’s request to authorize access to Morocco for foreign nationals with a hotel reservation.
From now on, foreign nationals not subject to the visa formality who have a confirmed reservation for a hotel in Morocco can access the territory upon presentation of said reservation. However, the imperative to first carry out Covid-19 screening tests is still in force.
Foreign professionals also benefit from a simplified procedure for access to the national territory upon presentation of an invitation from their Moroccan counterparts. Measures aimed at opening borders are among the main complaints of tourism professionals. The sector has been strongly impacted by the coronavirus crisis. It should be remembered that tourism, which accounts for 7% of national GDP, recorded a contraction in revenue of 71.7% in the second quarter of 2020.
Which represents a dead loss of 11.8 billion DH. Given the scale of the sector’s loss ratio, the latest measures taken by the government are likely to provide relief to professionals in the sector who benefit from a dedicated recovery plan.
When asked by us about the appropriateness and impact of the decisions taken recently by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Takhchi, president of the Regional Tourism Council (CRT) of Drâa-Tafilalet, retorted: “it is clear that the tourist season is lost, but the recent measures constitute a relief for our sector. The partial opening of borders is of great psychological support. It will contribute to the relaunch of our destination, in particular through participation in trade fairs and workshops”.
Our interlocutor also lets it be known that professionals can, thanks to the relaxation of restrictive measures for access to the national territory, reschedule postponed trips for foreign tourists. Still, all the major international events planned for this year and which contribute to the international influence of the Drâa-Tafilalet region, have been postponed for next year. As an illustration, the Marathon des sables, initially expected in March 2020, will be held in April 2021.
source:fnh.ma
