Morocco/Israel: Direct flights between Tel-Aviv & Essaouira in September

Israeli Arkia Airline Company will operate direct flights between Tel-Aviv and Essaouira starting next September under an agreement it signed Friday in Salé, near Rabat, with Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT).

The new direct flight by Arkia Airlines will have a total capacity of 11,000 seats.

Commenting the deal, ONMT Chief, Adel El Fakir, stressed the importance of the new Israeli direct flights for the Moroccan inbound tourism, saying the new route comes to meet a growing demand from Israeli market.

For his part, Arkia’s Director Gad Tepper said he is upbeat over the pertinence and financial gains of the new airline service that will enable thousands of Israelis to travel to Essaouira to enjoy its popular historical sites.

In 2022, nearly 75,000 Israeli tourists visited Morocco, up 87% compared to 2019. At the end of June 2023, some 39,000 Israeli travelers visited the North African Kingdom, a 35% increase compared with the same period of 2022.

According to Moroccan Tourism Observatory, Israeli tourist arrivals soared by 146% during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019.

Since the normalization of relations between Rabat & Tel Aviv in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, visits and contacts between Moroccan and Israeli officials intensified, culminating with the signing of a series of cooperation accords in tourism, trade, industry, defense, cybersecurity, technology, scientific research, culture, agriculture, water, healthcare, security…