Rabat – Morocco and India have signed an air services agreement to develop their civil aviation sectors.
Mohammed Sajid, Moroccan minister of tourism and civil aviation, and Suresh Prabhu, minister of commerce and industry and civil aviation, signed the agreement on Wednesday, September 19 in New Delhi, India.
“This signing will open up new horizons of cooperation to build strategic partnership links between Moroccan and Indian air services,” Sajid told state-owned news agency Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
Sajid was on a three-day working visit to India at the head of a large delegation.
According to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, the agreement will enable “greater air connectivity between India and Morocco and will enable the airlines of each side to enter into code share with airlines of other party, as well as provide greater freedom in mounting direct flights.”
“India is a very big country. However, there were low numbers of foreign tourists from India to Morocco in recent years. We have a lot of similarities with India in terms of culture and development,” said Sajid Monday.
In 2017, India received only 8,000 Moroccans while 21,850 Indian tourists travelled to Morocco. The North African country aims to double the number to reach 40,000 Indian tourists in 2019.
During Sajid’s visit, the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism.
The MoU will promote tourism between Morocco and India and promote the exchange of bilateral expertise.
Moroccan Minister of Tourism Sajid also announced on Monday, September 17, the opening of a new tourism office in India’s New Delhi.
“The office will help us understand what Indian tourists are looking for. The office will not only serve as a platform to promote tourism but also give professional information to various stakeholders,” Sajid said.
