Immediately after the reopening of Morocco for international travel, a run on airline tickets arose, says the Moroccan Dutch Association (SMN). The foundation receives signals from an overloaded booking website, higher prices than the agreed maximum and queues at specialized travel agencies in the major Dutch cities.
The North African country's borders reopened to international travelers on Tuesday, with a maximum 48-hour negative PCR test as the only condition. Visitors from the Netherlands do not have to be quarantined upon arrival.
The demand for tickets was immediately high. Ticket prices for a family of four went up to 4000 euros. On the orders of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI, the national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) lowered prices to 500 euros per family. “Now it is attractive for many people to go,” says Habib El Kaddouri of the partnership. The airline's site crashed on Monday after a tidal wave of 120.000 reservations in 24 hours.
Quarantine obligation
When returning to the Netherlands, a quarantine obligation applies to travelers from Morocco, because of the orange code that still applies to the country. That does not stop travelers, El Kaddouri notes. “People are ready for a holiday after such a long period.” The Feast of the Sacrifice also plays a part, which will take place from 19 July. According to El Kaddouri, some uncertainty is being put on the line. “The fear of getting stranded there is less than last year. Corona is on its way back.”
The airline tickets to Morocco are also popular because travel via Spain is not possible at the moment. Officially, this is for health reasons, but the two countries have been in a diplomatic crisis for weeks. In 2019, more than 3,2 million people traveled from Spain to Morocco by ferry.
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