Rabat – More than 15,000 Israeli tourists visited Morocco during Passover this year, a major Jewish holiday, celebrated across the globe on the evening of April 15.
Eyal David, Israel’s deputy head of mission in Morocco said in a tweet that the Israeli tourists have traveled to enjoy their holidays with their families in the kingdom.
“We look forward to more people coming next summer,” he added.
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
The date changes each year in accordance with the Hebrew calendar, yet is always celebrated in the spring. The festival is held for eight days (seven in Israel) and ends at sundown on April 23.
The occasion acquired an even greater meaning in Morocco after the north African country’s normalization deal with Israel in December 2020.
The Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) expects the arrival of 200,000 Israeli tourists in 2022 as a result of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
As the number of Israeli tourists in the country increases, Morocco has witnessed a significantly rising trend of restaurants providing Kosher meals and other Kosher-friendly options.
Casablanca’s “Madame Fhal” bakery, famous for its kosher bread, is one of the places where the community can easily buy special bread that is baked in compliance with the religious requirements.
David has previously said that several activities are expected to take place in May and June to strengthen Morocco and Israel’s relations in business, culture, and environmental issues.
The national air carrier Royal Air Maroc inaugurated on March 13 the first direct flight linking Casablanca to Tel Aviv.
Royal Air Maroc will operate four flights per week on its new Casablanca-Tel Aviv route.
The Israir airline has also revealed plans to operate two weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech from April as part of its summer flight schedule.
Israel is set to boost trade cooperation, aiming to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Morocco to $500 million, up from the current $130 million.
