"The signing of agreements, which took place on Tuesday, between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel is part of a will to re-establish regular air routes between the two countries in 2 to 3 months", said Fettah Alaoui, during the 23rd edition of "Mardis du Tourisme" held under the theme "Tourism: Results, Prospects, and Transitions".
The Minister lauded the historical relations of a mainly cultural nature which exist between Morocco and Israel, underlining the "great enthusiasm" of the two parties to re-establish regular flights.
"We welcome all Israeli tourists who want to come to Morocco," she said, adding that the Jewish-Moroccan community visiting Morocco is between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors per year. "These tourists will continue to come and return to Morocco and show it to other countries," she said.
To meet the needs of the Israeli tourism market and meet the challenge of promoting Israeli tourism in Morocco, the minister said a study was elaborated to understand the Israeli market, mobilizing operators from both countries to better identify the specificities and prerequisites of the two markets. "We are also working, in this sense, with associations to be able to train and prepare more tourist guides", she added.
The minister called on this occasion to pool efforts and work together with all stakeholders to meet the challenge of consolidating Israeli tourism in Morocco. It is a challenge that must be part of a proactive and methodical approach, insisted Fettah Alaoui.
A memorandum of understanding was signed on Tuesday during the visit of the high-level American-Israeli delegation in the field of Civil Aviation by Zakaria Belghazi, Director General of Civil Aviation at the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy and Joel Feldschuh, Director of the Civil Aviation Agency.
Recognizing the importance of ensuring direct flights between Israel and Morocco, the two sides pledge to engage in discussions for the conclusion of an Air Services Agreement.