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morocco travel post covid 19
Morocco Travel Post COVID 19
Morocco Travel 2021 - Borders Reopen with Travel & Safety Measures Post Covid-19.
Travel Exploration Morocco Private Tours is pleased to announce the Opening of Moroccan Borders.
Morocco's borders are officially open for visitors with a penchant to travel abroad. Beginning June 15, 2021, international flights to Morocco will be able to resume and travelers will, under some conditions, have access to Moroccan territory if they have a vaccination certificate and / or a negative PCR test at least 48 hours before the date of entry into Moroccan territory. Quarantine upon arrival in Morocco is not required. Those visiting for a Morocco Private Tour in 2021 can rest assured that all tourism facilities are open to welcome travelers safely.
Museums, cultural sites, cinemas, theaters, green spaces and natural parks are all open for travelers to visit.
Morocco was the first country in Africa to offers its citizens the possibility of being vaccinated. There is a continuation of that goal to vaccinate the majority of its population by the end of summer 2021.
Morocco will lead Post Covid-19 with an ecosystem that includes specific measures set up by stakeholders in the travel industry as to enable tourism to resume. World renowned, Morocco as a destination relies on a rich and experienced network of in-country experienced operators such as international airports, luxury accommodation establishments, tourism transport companies, travel agencies, tours guides and restaurants.
The initiatives and measures taken by Morocco to cope with Covid-19 were a success in both containment of the virus and the reduction of the spread. Moroccan authorities adopted a set of protective measures since the beginning of March 2020. Under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco put in place a range of preventive measures, recognized and welcomed by the international community, to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. These measures that put Moroccans health and safety protection first, necessitated the shutdown of several activities, namely those related to tourism and transport from March 20th through mid-June 2020.
This strategic choice to create a plan quickly bore fruit. As the result of the exceptional cohesion and involvement of all the components of the State and Society, the health crisis in Morocco was rapidly and continuously contained, making the Kingdom among the countries which have best managed this pandemic at the global level.
Morocco Travel Post Covid-19 Strategic Plan:
On June 10th, 2020, led by Nadia Fettah, the Moroccan Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport and Social Economy, Morocco announced a strategic plan for tourism post Covid-19. An overview of health and safety measures to be implemented for travelers was released to the tourism industry which would enable them to offer guidance and assurance for the resumption of Morocco Travel experiences.
Aware of the issues related to this crisis, the Ministry mobilized itself promptly, in close collaboration with the bodies under its authority as well as with all the sector’s professionals, to continue making Morocco as a coveted destination by tourists from all over the world, while ensuring their health and safety as well as that of the women and men working in the sector.
These efforts, inter alia, were reflected by implementing a wide range of health and hygiene measures by the sector’s public and private operators at all the levels of the tourism value chain.
Morocco Air Travel Post Covid-19:
Morocco air travel post-COVID-19 has been addressed by the Kingdom of Morocco to enable tourists to visit the country with the understanding that the Monarchy is providing leadership, security, and prioritizing safety. The Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts, Air Transport, Social Economy has mobilized itself in order to contribute to the national effort to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic.
On June 10th, 2020, Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) adopted harmonized processes & procedures in line with public health authorities and full coordination with relevant public and private sector partners. These measures reflect ONDA's strong commitment to comply with the constraints linked to the management of the COVID 19 pandemic, enabling air traffic to return to its normal state quickly.
All measures aimed at restoring confidence in the value chain and services linked to the air traffic sector, making it possible to provide a healthy, comfortable, and sustainable travel experience.
Morocco Air Travel Post COVID-19 Regulations:
At Royal Air Maroc’s agencies and onboard its airplanes:
The gradual resumption of Royal Air Maroc flights will be accompanied by enforcing strict sanitary measures. The Airline will put in place exceptional measures aimed at respecting barrier gestures and limiting interactions between passengers, ground staff, and crew members in order to guarantee a safe trip. These health measures will be implemented throughout the customer’s journey.
Temperature screening and health declaration upon arrival:
• As required by local health authorities, passengers must undergo temperature screening, by either handheld infrared detector or infrared screening system.
• Passengers failing the temperature check will be referred to a medical post for further examination.
• Health Declaration Forms required by health authorities.
• All passengers are to wear a facial mask and respect physical distancing in all airport areas (counters, baggage claim....)
Baggage claim:
• Luggage is identified and tagged to allow easier management.
• Baggage are handheld safely with gloves ensuring minimum contact with staff
• Floor markings and stickers displayed to ensure safe distance at luggage collection points. Increased cleaning of trolleys and baggage carts at the airport.
Cleaning and sanitizing of all areas
•Moroccan airports provide facilities for passengers to sanitize their hands before and after passenger touchpoints.
• Frequent fumigation of all terminal areas and facilities.
•Periodical disinfection and deep cleaning: processes and resources in place to disinfect and deep clean utilized areas on a regular basis.
• Commonly touched surfaces are disinfected frequently (e.g. handrails, handles, elevator panels...) üIncreased cleaning and disinfection activities including restrooms, waiting lobby,...etc..
Passengers physical distancing:
• Floor markings in all queuing areas to outline and encourage physical distancing guides/spaces: all queuing zones are arranged to accommodate physical distancing directives, and floor markings are installed to ensure compliance (including arrivals, check-in, passport control, security checkpoint, and e-gates, etc).
•Seating areas separation: physical distancing guidelines are also applied to passenger seating areas.
• Flows separation: all flows are reconfigured to prevent proximity and ensure separation.
• Protective Screens are installed at all counters and passenger interaction touchpoints.
Reinforced passenger information:
•Posters are displayed to inform passengers of the required procedures.
• Sound messages are also used for instructional messages.
Disinfecting Airplanes:
Royal Air Maroc strengthens the processes of cleaning its air fleet by disinfecting all customers’ touch surfaces such as armrests, shelves, and screens, and by implementing a specific disinfection procedure which consists in spraying an approved virucidal product. In addition to the usual cleaning, airplanes will be regularly disinfected onboard with an approved virucidal product which remains effective for about 10 days.
As for cleaning the air in the cabins, the planes are equipped with an air recycling system made up of "High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)“ filters identical to those used in operating rooms. The cabin air is therefore completely renewed every 3 minutes. HEPA filters extract more than 99.999% of viruses, including those whose size does not exceed 0.01 micrometer, thus ensuring the quality of the air in the cabin and its compliance with sanitary standards. Coronavirus-type viruses whose size varies between 0.08 and 0.16 microns are thus systematically captured.
Prior to every departure, airplanes are thoroughly cleaned:
•Vacuuming carpets and all seats.
• Cleaning all touch surfaces (e.g. shelves, armrests, screens, remote controls, and toilets) using approved disinfectants.
• Additional equipment has been put in place for cabin crew. Onboard each aircraft, the crew members will have for their protection:
• Cleaning wipes
• Vinyl gloves
• Disinfectant sprays
• Protective masks
In-Flight Services:
To ensure a trip that respects the sanitary conditions for its passengers, Royal Air Maroc is reviewing its in-flight service reference system to be in line with the new sanitary requirements and the new market context. In fact, altering services and in-flight services are underway so as to limit interactions and contacts between passengers and crew members and thus getting closer to the "Touchless Cabin."
The new service standard concerns the review of meal services, the implementation of hygiene measures, the introduction of new service methods, and the digitization of the press and the various brochures.
Therefore, several measures are foreseen in order to prepare to resume its activity, namely:
Hygiene measures:
•Wearing a mask and gloves for cabin crew is compulsory;
• Wearing a mask during the entire flight for passengers is compulsory;
• Reinforcing regular cleaning and disinfection of toilets and door handles;
• Checking the temperature of potentially contaminated passengers onboard;
• Limiting in-flight movements to minimize contact.
• Defining new meal services, by reducing the meal service offered to passengers in order to minimize crew/customer contact. These include serving onboard a meal container or a packaged meal tray.
• Reviewing in-flight entertainment: removal of newspapers, magazines, and various brochures. Press kits will, therefore, be replaced by the digital press, using a dedicated application to offer various press publications.
• Disseminating clear and precise in-flight announcements to inform passengers about the various health measures undertaken.
Morocco Tour Guides Post Covid-19 Regulations:
Protective measures against COVID 19 must be implemented: before, during and after the service (visits to tourist monuments, museums, natural sites, excursions, etc.).
Prior to the service, the tour guide must:
• Have the health and emergency center numbers available.
• Have a hygiene kit available (masks, gloves, disinfectants, etc).
• Be equipped with adapted audio equipment (e.g. audiophone) provided by the travel agencies organizing tours in order to facilitate interpretation.
• Make sure that clients are provided with their own masks (to be renewed every 4 hours).
• Agree to not work if COVID 19 symptoms are present, or if in contact with infected persons.
During the service, the tour guide and clients must:
• Ensure that the rules of physical distancing are respected.
• Be aware of the precautionary measures to be adopted during the visit or the circuit to be carried out.
•Comply with regulatory provisions (as part of health crisis management) regarding the maximum number of people per group.
•Respect the safety instructions: adequate minimum distance between each person during the visit and during breaks and stops, wearing a mask is mandatory (if the mask is disturbing for the guide during interpretation, the use of an audiophone and/or a protective visor is recommended).
• Systematically disinfect the equipment after each use (especially for the natural areas tour guides)
• Encourage electronic payment, If it is not made before the service is provided.
After the service, the tour guide must:
• Recover the material used to disinfect it (especially for the natural areas guides)
Morocco Boutique Riads and Hotel Establishment Guidelines Post Morocco Boutique Riads & Hotels Establishment Guidelines Post Covid-19:
• Designating a COVID-19 referent who will be responsible for the application of safety and health procedures against COVID-19. All Boutique Riads & Hotels must have the necessary information on emergency numbers and hospitals and centers dedicated to the management of covid19 suspect / positive cases.
• Ensuring regular disinfection and sterilization of all TAE departments according to national guidelines and standards.
• Placing a disinfectant and non-slip mat(by immersing the soles in a disinfectant solution) at the entrance of each tourist accommodation establishment and at the level of the access and/or high traffic areas in the various departments.
•Treating and disinfecting carpets regularly.
• Enhancing precautionary measures in the laundry room.
• Organizing training sessions for staff.
•Encouraging teleworking for functions that do not require on-site presence.
• Developing a communication policy using awareness-raising materials that remind customers and staff of the health and safety measures to be adopted.
• Limiting the number of customers who can access the TAE at the same time: respect of physical distancing measures at the level of common areas such as the reception, the entrance hall, or the restaurant.
• Setting up a special COVID 19 HR unit to ensure daily control of staff temperatures, report emergency cases of suspicious cases, brief teams daily on the correct actions to adopt and review the HR policy of the TAE: rotating shifts and reinforced health and safety instructions.
• Updating in a compulsory and systematic way all COVID 19 protection procedures.
• Providing staff with personal protective equipment: masks, visors, hydro-alcoholic gels, permanently disinfected uniforms.
• Providing masks for customers, in accordance with current standards.
• Setting up a lockdown and disinfection procedure in case of client(s) and/or employee(s) declared positive and requiring quarantine.
• Notifying customers and providing in the conditions of sale the possibility of re-accommodating if the need is expressed or the situation requires it.
Reservation, check-in and check-out:
• Favoring online and pre-reservations.
• Digitizing the registration process (offer pre-registration online or via email)
• Delaying check-in and check-out times from one customer to another to avoid the risk of overcrowding.
• Promoting online or credit card payment and sending invoice statements by email.
• Avoiding printing reservation forms or invoices only when necessary or at the customer's request (give preference to mailings to be sent directly to the customer). ü Planning a 6-hour gap between each reservation.
• Disinfecting the luggage at the check-in and when handing over the keys by the customers at the check-out.
• Digitizing the registration process (offer pre-registration online or via email)
• Delaying check-in and check-out times from one customer to another to avoid the risk of overcrowding.
• Promoting online or credit card payment and sending invoice statements by email.
• Avoiding printing reservation forms or invoices only when necessary or at the customer's request (give preference to mailings to be sent directly to the customer). ü Planning a 6-hour gap between each reservation.
• Disinfecting the luggage at the check-in and when handing over the keys by the customers at the check-out.
Welcome and reception
• Planning an occupancy rate corresponding to the capacity of the TAE to comply with the health and distancing measures.
• Placing markings on the ground to avoid the gathering of tourists in the reception hall.
• Equipping, whenever possible, the reception desks at the TAE with separation screens (Plexiglas protective screens).
üEquipping reception with a medical kit specific to receptionists including: disinfectant gels, disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces, gloves, disinfectant spray for payment cards and POS.
• Displaying, permanently, specific health and safety measures for COVID 19 on screens available in the reception hall. Otherwise, awareness posters can be put up.
• Carrying out regular disinfection of the reception area: reception desks, elevators and common sanitary blocks.
Common Areas:
• Ensuring that physical distancing measures are respected.
• Making it mandatory to wear a mask at staff premises as well as in common areas for customers.
• Rearranging the kids clubs so as to comply with the rules of prevention and protection against COVID 19 (limit the capacity of reception and reinforce hygiene measures).
• Continuously raising awareness on the right gestures and preventive measures against COVID
• Installing hydro-alcoholic gel dispensers in common areas.
• Setting up reinforced cleaning and disinfection rules in common areas.
• Reinforcing the cleaning of air filters and increasing ventilation to renew the air and promote natural ventilation.
• Disabling the electric hand dryers installed in the common sanitary facilities.
• Disinfecting vehicles in the parking area.
Rooms & Floors
• Setting up a strict cleaning protocol in the rooms ;training and informing staff on the new measures: wearing masks and gloves is mandatory.
• Limiting the use of bathroom toiletries to a single use.
• Equipping the TAE laundry room with certified cleaning products and training staff to avoid mixing dirty and clean laundry.
• Reinforcing the cleaning of air filters and increasing the ventilation level of air conditioning systems to renew the air more regularly while promoting natural ventilation (open bedroom windows)
Riad & Hotel Restaurants
• Respecting a minimum distance of 1 meter between 2 tables at the TAE restaurant.
• Providing table service or buffet service on condition that physical distancing measures are respected (Plexiglas separation screens, management of customer flows, service provided by dedicated staff).
• Encouraging room service to avoid queues. Room service should consider , whenever possible , options such as disposable packaging to avoid excessive handling of utensils (lunch box, breakfast tray, etc.). Reinforcing the cleaning of air filters and cooker hoods in kitchens.
• Gyms, hammams and Spas must respect the directives which are implemented by the competent health authorities.
Morocco Restaurants Guidelines Post COVID-19:
• All restaurants provide disposable/ single-use utensils.
• Individual portions should be served rather than providing common-use serving utensils for self-serve food.
• Individual portions should be served rather than providing common-use serving utensils for self-serve food.
• All restaurant staff (frontline & kitchen) wear facemasks and protective gloves at work.
• Placing a disinfectant and anti-slip mat (by immersing the soles in a disinfectant solution) at the entrance to each tourist restaurant and at the level of the landings of the access and/or high-traffic areas (kitchen entrance, delivery area, etc.),
• Reducing the capacity of the restaurant room and separating the tables by a minimum distance of 1 meter (including terraces).
• Ensuring the proper functioning of air conditioning systems to renew the air more regularly and promoting natural ventilation of the premises whenever possible.
• Ensuring that physical distancing is respected and controlling the flow of customers.
• Entertainment activities must respect physical distancing measures.
• Establishing health safety rules related to COVID-19 for staff (temperature control) and for suppliers.
• Ensuring training of staff on good health and safety practices against COVID 19.
• Putting up awareness posters on prevention and protection measures against COVID 19.
• Respecting the physical distancing measures and the hygiene and safety rules in the kitchen and the different rooms of the restaurant.
• Maintaining the obligation to wear a mask (to be renewed every 4 hours) for staff including servers who must stand at least one meter away from customers when taking an order.
• Suspending operations that require customers to use common utensils or dispensers, such as salad bars, buffets and beverage dispensers.
• Favoring electronic payment.
• Providing customers and staff with hydro-alcoholic disinfectants.
• Regularly disinfecting door handles, stair railings, chair armrests, tables, electronic payment terminals and any other frequently touched work tool.
• Disinfecting the equipment and accessories made available to customers before and after use.
• Placing groups of clients at a maximum of 4 people per table and ensuring that the minimum distance is respected (members of the same family are excluded from this restriction).
• Dedicating an area for ready-to-go service and home delivery.
• Practicing physical distancing during home delivery by opting for "contactless" deliveries: send text messages or call when deliveries are ready.
