Hurdles hurt tourism between Kenya and Morocco

Plans by a Moroccan airline to establish a direct link to Kenya are being stalled by technical and diplomatic challenges.

Kenya’s Honorary Consul to Morocco, Mr Ali Bajaber, said that Royal Air Maroc had failed to launch a flight to Nairobi due to delays in the delivery of aircraft.

“The delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliners is holding these plans back,” he said.

Morocco’s ambassador to Kenya, Mr Abdelilah Benryane, also disclosed that the two countries are yet to sign a bilateral air transport agreement — an accord that nations sign to allow international commercial flights between their territories.

He added that discussions were ongoing with Kenya’s foreign affairs minister Sam Ongeri to resolve the issue.

He was speaking following a stakeholder forum in Nairobi. The two countries have signed an MOU to share tourism best practices.

Kenya looks forward to learn from Morocco as it constructs its first resort city in Isiolo. Morocco has constructed three such cities.

It is also seeking to increase tourism flows from the country.

Carriers across the world have suffered massive losses as their orders of the much vaunted Boeing Dreamliners are delayed time and again.

Air Maroc’s dreamliners were supposed to be delivered in 2011 but this has been pushed to 2013.

Currently, passengers travelling between the two countries have to endure 18 hours in the skies with lay-overs in Paris, Dubai or Doha.

“In North Africa, Morocco is crucial to our plan to diversify because it is a hub. We need a direct flight to tap into this,” said Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) marketing director, Ms Jennifer Opondo.