Morocco Issuing E-Visas in Effort To Revive Tourism Industry

Morocco has begun to issue e-visas for tourists from 49 countries, The New Arab reported. The modernization of the visa application process is part of the effort to revive the country’s tourism sector in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The visas will be issued through the electronic portal “Acces Maroc.” The visas will allow foreign tourists to remain in Morocco for up to 30 days at a time and will be valid for 180 days after it is issued. The waiting time for the visa will be 72 hours, but visitors to Morocco could obtain an express visa some 24 hours prior to visiting, according to the report. In May, Morocco dropped all requirements for foreign visitors to present a negative PCR test in order to enter the kingdom. Israelis have begun to visit Morocco in large numbers since the two counties announced at the end of 2020 that they would normalize relations. There were some 13 million tourists visiting Morocco in 2019, which dropped to 4 million in 2021. Morocco relies heavily on the tourism industry to provide jobs for tens of thousands of its citizens.