Israel-Morocco direct flights to launch in ‘two to three months’ – report

DECEMBER 25, 2020 01:31

Morocco and Israel will launch direct flights between the countries “within two to three months,” Morocco’s Tourism Minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui said on Wednesday, according to Moroccan news agency MAPNEWS.

Alaoui made the comment during the 23rd meeting of the “Mardis du Tourisme” committee that focused on the tourism sector in the country and its future.

Noting the historic cultural relations that have existed between Morocco and Israel for years, albeit low level relations, Alaoui said that both sides have shown “great enthusiasm” in regards to directs flights soon becoming available.

According to Alaoui, some 40,000 to 50,000 Moroccan Jews visit the country annually. “These tourists will continue to come and return to Morocco and show it to other countries,” she noted, emphasizing that “we welcome all Israeli tourists who want to come to Morocco.”

She mentioned several proactive efforts being taken by Morocco’s tourism industry to prepare for the arrival of Israeli tourists and to best meet their needs, as part of promoting Israeli tourism in the country as a whole.

Specifically, Alaoui noted that her ministry has issued a study aimed at gaining a better understanding of the Israeli tourism market. “We are also working, in this sense, with associations to be able to train and prepare more tourist guides”, she added.

Alaoui’s comments were made one day after an Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and and American delegation headed by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner visited Morocco and met with King Mohammed VI, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, Moroccan Prime Minister Saaededdine Othmani and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

The parties signed agreements on visa exemptions, water cooperation, finance and aviation including direct flights between the two countries. Documents were also signed between Washington and Rabat with respect to $5 billion financial assistance for development through the US International Development Finance Corporation.

The comments made by the Moroccan Tourism Minister are among the first indication of practical implementation of the agreements signed between the delegations.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.