Morocco’s ONMT Promotes Tourism Revival at French Tourism Event

Rabat – Adel El Fakir, the Director-General of Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONMT), held a set of meetings with tourism professionals and airlines in France this week as part of efforts to revive the tourism sector.

Morocco decided to reopen its borders for international travel, starting February 7 after a few months of closure amid the spread of the latest COVID-19 strain, Omicron.

The decision to lift travel restrictions was welcomed, particularly from tourism sector professionals and airlines impacted by the border closure.

ONMT said El Fakir held a meeting on Wednesday at the Tour Operators Companies Union (SETO), convening French tourist operators.

The ONMT also conveyed French tourism professionals’ satisfaction with Morocco’s decision to reopen its airspace on February 7.

“We wanted to be alongside our partners as quickly as possible with the aim of reassuring them of the realities of a recovery that is both imminent and above all sustainable,” El Fakir said in the meeting.

He added that ONMT is “very touched” by the support from French travel professionals.

“Our lasting partnership with professionals gathered in SETO is particularly productive,” he said.

Morocco’s ONMT general director also held working meetings with Transavia, a company in the Air France-KLM group.

The goal of the meeting was to secure significant capacities from France to various Moroccan tourist destinations.

ONMT aims to ensure that Morocco once again becomes the number one country in the “portfolio of business from the start of the 2022 season.”

El Fakir explained that it was important for ONMT to meet the managers of the Transavia company to ensure a “very short term recovery and a gradual recovery that is sustainable for all of our pre-COVID capacity.”

Several airlines announced the decision to resume flights to and from Morocco starting February 7.

Transavia said that it will be linking the Paris Orly airport to Moroccan cities of Agadir, Casablanca, Essaouira, Fez, Nador, Oujda, Marrakech, Rabat, Tangier, and Ouarzazate.

Departing from Nantes-Atlantique, Transavia flights will reach Agadir, Casablanca, and Marrakech.

Transavia will also operate flights from Lyon Saint-Exupery airport to Agadir, Casablanca, and Marrakech, while Montpellier-Mediterranean will link flights with Marrakech.

Earlier this week, Morocco announced measures and conditions for travelers to enter Moroccan territory. The conditions include a negative PCR test and the vaccine pass.