MOROCCO – Morocco’s tourism which had been crippled by the corona virus pandemic is finally coming to life as visitors from various nationalities start arriving into the country.
Agadir, a coastal city in Morocco near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, is among the first cities in Morocco to receive tourists.
The city’s first group of tourists arrived in October at Agadir-Al Massira airport after months of travel restrictions as part of measures to combat COVID-19.
The tourists arrived from Manchester, Britain on board the low-cost airline Ryanair as part of Morocco’s efforts to gradually relaunch national tourism.
Marrakech which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Morocco also received a group of 160 French tourists as part of its measures to revive its tourism industry.
In the same vein, Tangier also received 15 tourism professionals from Spain currently visiting Tangier as part of Morocco’s first familiarization trip since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONMT) organized the visit, as part of the office’s efforts to promote tourism in Morocco.
In September, Morocco announced a decision to open borders for tourists who have hotel reservations and also for business visitors who have invitations from Moroccan companies.
The decision comes to rescue the tourism and industrial sectors, which faced dire impacts from the COVID-19 crisis.
The pandemic is estimated to have cost Morocco’s tourism sector to a loss of MAD 18.2 billion ($2 billion) in the first seven months of 2020.
To promote Morocco’s tourism, the country’s Ministry of Tourism has launched the “Welcome Safely” label to fortify Morocco’s tourism sector as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.
The initiative aims to boost competitiveness among tourist accommodation establishments.
The label sets recommendations and requirements for operators to follow in order to avoid or manage potential COVID-19 contamination, and to improve tourists’ confidence in travel.
In the same vein, world-renowned La Mamounia Hotel in Marrakech has reopened its doors after seven months of renovation works.
The renovated hotel includes a new restaurant by famous French-American chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and is expected to be a charm to both foreign and local tourists.
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