Morocco To Ease Travel Restrictions Ahead of Operation Marhaba 2022

The government of Morocco plans to ease travel restrictions ahead of Operation Marhaba 2022, a huge maritime effort to bring visitors to the North African country. A government source told the Moroccan news outlet Le360 that Morocco is preparing to drop the “double obligation to have a vaccination pass and a PCR test to travel to Morocco via air routes.”

Morocco aims to welcome visitors this summer

With the latest rules, air passengers can show either a valid vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test. Meanwhile, tests must be taken 48 hours prior to boarding the flight. According to the government source, this decision will be applied ahead of Operation Marhaba this summer.

Meanwhile, in April, Morocco already eased restrictions on maritime travel. Under the new rules, Moroccans and tourists can show either a vaccine certification or a PCR test instead of both options.

The decision to ease travel restrictions comes at a time when the tourism sector in Morocco aims to recover from losses during the COVID pandemic. Since 2019, the North African country has closed and reopened its borders to travelers, depending on the latest epidemiological situation.

Operation Marhaba 2022

In the coming weeks, Morocco will announce the official launch of this year’s Operation Marhaba. Relating to this, Spain and Morocco held a high-level meeting on Thursday to finalize preparation for the process.

The Ministry of Transport and Logistics made the announcement on Saturday in Rabat.

According to the minister, a total of 32 ships have already been mobilized on all shipping lines linking Moroccan ports to Spanish, Italian and French ports. Those ships will offer a total capacity of around 478,000 passengers and 123,000 cars. Moreover, the ministry said this will ensure 571 weekly trips.

As reported by Hespress, to ensure the best quality of service to tourists and Moroccans living abroad, 23 ships will be assigned to shipping lines with Spain. This route accounts for 95 percent of passenger traffic. 14 of the ships will carry passengers on the Tangier Med-Algeciras line. With these ships, it will be possible to ensure 47 daily trips, with a capacity of around 40,000 passengers and 11,000 cars.

Ticket bookings to be introduced

Meanwhile, a ticket reservation system is to be introduced for all shipping lines. This will include the Tangier Med/Algeciras and the Tangier City/Tarifa routes. Moreover, bookings are necessary to control numbers and to ensure a smooth traffic flow between the Moroccan and Spanish shores.

Eventually, Morocco plans to make a total of 32 ships available, offering 572 weekly rotations. This will ensure a total capacity of 471,000 passengers and 124,000 cars each week.

Catching a ferry from Algeciras or Tarifa is a popular option for Spanish vacationers and visitors to spend some quality time in the souks of Morocco. Some make it a day trip, while others spent a weekend or more in the North African country. Once done, travelers either head home from Morocco or return to Spain by ferry to take their next flight.