Israeli tourism to Morocco begins recovery as direct flights resume, locals expect economy boost

Intial demand for the direct flight from Tel Aviv to Marrakesh indicates that Israeli tourism could return to pre-war levels, when approximately 100,000 Israelis visited Morocco each year.

An estimated 20,000 Israelis will visit Morocco by the end of 2026, supporting the local economy through the tourism industry, while Morocco is "really waiting for Israeli tourists," Moroccan-Israeli tour guide Uri Attias told N12 News.

Direct flights from Tel Aviv to Marrakech, Morocco, resumed this summer. In August, Arkia operated the first direct Israeli flight to the popular Moroccan city since October 7, 2023. Three direct flights are now operating each week, run by Israeli airlines.

The current scope of Israeli tourism in Morocco is relatively low, in part due to the limited number of flights; however, initial demand indicates that Israeli tourism could return to pre-war levels, when approximately 100,000 Israelis visited Morocco each year.

Attias, a Morocco tour guide with Eco Outdoor Tours at the Issta Sport Group, told N12 that the resumption of direct flights was personal for him. He was born to Moroccan parents, spoke Moroccan Arabic, and has led tours in Morocco for over 30 years.

"I guide in many destinations around the world, but Morocco is my favorite. It is much more than a trip. It is the people, the smells, the flavors, and the atmosphere, which have no equivalent anywhere in the world.”

“When I take a group with me, from my perspective, they are not really going on a trip with me; they are guests in my home. We do not see Morocco from above, we go inside. We visit families, schools and villages, eat in the homes of people I personally know, sit down for a couscous or tagine meal and drink Moroccan tea at the table where the family itself eats.”

Moroccan businesses want Israeli tourism to restart

But Attias doesn't think the desire to return to Morocco is one-sided. He told N12 that the Moroccan tourism industry had adapted to Israeli visitors in the years leading up to the war, explaining that the closure of direct flights between the two countries dealt many business owners a tough blow. 

"There are many businesses in Morocco that are really waiting for Israeli tourists. It is their source of oxygen. Companies organized jeep tours for Israelis two or three times a month, and suddenly it was cut off. I do not think their attitude toward Israelis has changed. They are waiting for the organized groups to return.”

Attias is returning to Morocco with an Eco group in April, more than three years after his last visit.