Tourist Operators Are Reassured as the Borders Are Open to Foreigners

The National Confederation of Tourism (CNT), in the words of its president, Abdellatif Kabbaj, expresses its “great satisfaction” at the easing of the conditions of access to Morocco for foreign nationals. Such a decision may promote the revival of tourism industry.

As of Sunday, September 6, 2020, any foreign citizen can visit Morocco on the simple presentation of a hotel reservation and a valid PCR test. The decision was announced last Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has given a positive response to a request made by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).

Thus, this opening of the borders is a welcome opportunity for tourist operators, active in one of the sectors most severely impacted by the effects of the health crisis.

The President of the National Tourism Confederation, Abdellatif Kabbaj, said in a letter addressed to the members of the Confederation, that he welcomes with “great satisfaction” this initiative which, according to him, “is the crowning achievement of the CNT’s efforts.

The CNT has continued to call for a reopening of our borders, to promote the resumption of tourism in our country, in an economic context put under pressure by the health crisis that we have been experiencing for several months”.

On top of this good news comes another one. Businesses in the sector will be able, from Tuesday, September 8th, to declare their employees and trainees under contract, on the CNSS portal, to benefit from a monthly allowance of 2.000 DH.

This will be provided to employees and trainees during the period from 1 July to the end of December 2020. It is worth mentioning that the tourist sector is undoubtedly one of those who pay the heaviest price to the health crisis. Tourist arrivals in the Kingdom are in free fall. The number of tourist arrivals in the Kingdom has fallen by 63% at the end of June 2020, and the number of nights spent in classified accommodation establishments has fallen by 59%.

Revenues of the sector are also falling significantly, with a drop of 71.7% for the second quarter of 2020, representing a loss of MAD 11.8 billion. After the first six months of 2020, this decline is 33.2% or MAD 11.1 billion.

A more positive trend, although limited, is expected in the coming months, as recently pointed out by the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF).