Moroccans abroad complain about price hikes by shipping lines
Several shipping companies with routes between Spain and Morocco have raised the prices of boat tickets in a surprising way, which affects Moroccans living abroad (MRE) who are returning to their countries of residence after enjoying the summer holidays in Morocco, as reported by various media such as Bladi or Al3omk.
The MREs have expressed their complaints and regrets about this surprising and unjustified increase in the price of boat tickets for many, just before the end of August and when many are preparing to return to their countries of destination after enjoying their summer holidays in their country of origin, Morocco, as reported in several local media.
The MREs denounce the increase in the price of boat tickets between Spain and Morocco, which have risen sharply in recent days, according to Moroccan media.
The shipping companies have decided to raise the prices of ferry tickets, citing the rise in fuel prices as an excuse. At present, the connection between the port of Tarifa in Spain and Tangier in Morocco costs between 250 and 300 euros. These prices are considered high by the many Moroccans living abroad who cross the Strait of Gibraltar.
Several voices are calling on the Moroccan Ministry of Transport to intervene and negotiate with the shipping companies to find a solution to this continuous increase in ticket prices, in order to allow the MREs, who contribute to the development of their country of origin with their foreign currency and investments, to spend their holidays in Morocco and return to their countries of residence with the least possible difficulties.
Importance of Operation Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar
These Moroccans living abroad take part in the famous Operation Crossing the Strait, also known as Operation Marhaba, which year after year deploys an extensive system so that millions of Moroccans working abroad can return to Morocco for the summer and enjoy their holidays, and then return to their jobs in different countries such as Spain, France, Italy, etc. .....
As part of Operation Marhaba, these passenger movements have been accompanied by an operation set up between 5 June and 15 September, activated simultaneously in Morocco, France, Spain and Italy. According to a press release from the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, a key organisation in Operation Marhaba, assistance to members of the Moroccan community living abroad covered the arrival and return phases, in accordance with the regulations established by the competent authorities.
The Foundation has been present through 24 enclaves with appropriate services for all types of support to travellers, including health care.
Unhappiness over price increases
Moroccans living abroad have complained on a large scale about the soaring prices of shipping companies, as reported by various Moroccan media.
This increase in fares can be explained by the lack of Moroccan shipping companies and the absence of state regulation, Ali Zobeiri, president of the Euro-Moroccan Observatory for Migration, told the Al3omk website.
Several Spanish shipping companies that dominate the transit market between Spain and Morocco could be taking advantage of the MRE return period to increase fares while offering more affordable prices during the departure phase of Operation Crossing the Strait, according to Zobeiri, who urged the Moroccan authorities to promote investment in this sector and solve the problem in collaboration with the Spanish authorities, as also reported by Bladi.
According to data from the Moroccan Ministry of Transport and Logistics, 1.9 million MRE and 447,000 vehicles travelled from Morocco to Spain and vice versa between 5 June and 15 August, as part of Operation Marhaba. Specifically, around 1.33 million MRE and 317,000 vehicles entered Morocco from Europe, and almost 570,000 MRE and 130,000 vehicles left Morocco for Europe. This compares with around two million passengers last year.
The figures are falling. After years of a steady increase in the number of Moroccans returning to their homeland for the summer holidays, Operation Crossing the Strait registered some drop.
According to available data, the number of arrivals in 2023 reached 3,165,328 people, an increase of 2.73% compared to 2022 and 3.90% compared to 2019. Operation Marhaba also saw 3,001,084 people depart in 2023, an increase of 4.42% over 2022. Figures above those expected for 2024.
In this context, the economic analyst, Rachid Oraz, also suggested that the reason for the recorded decline could be due to the decrease in the connection of the new generations of Moroccan immigrants with their or their family's country of origin, which negatively affects tourism activity in Morocco, especially during the summer, when there is a large tourist movement of Moroccans.
Oraz explained that this decline may have a negative impact on some tourist destinations that rely heavily on expatriate visits. He added that the reasons for this decline may be economic, leading to a decrease in interest in visiting Morocco, as reported by Al3omk media.
Meanwhile, economic analyst Omar Kettani expressed concern over the decline in the inflow of Moroccans abroad to his country, warning of its negative impact on the foreign exchange reserves on which the nation largely depends.
Kettani explained that this decline will lead to a decrease in the amount of money injected by the Moroccan community living abroad into the Moroccan economy, either through consumption and services or through investment, pointing out that one third of remittances from Moroccans abroad go to local investments.
The economic expert added that the lack of control of prices and their notable increase have made it impossible for Moroccans abroad to visit their country, stressing that the state is the only body that has the capacity to control prices and take precautionary measures to reduce this increase. A situation that calls for intervention by the Moroccan authorities, as expert Ali Zobeiri pointed out.
The Moroccan tourism sector is witnessing changes, especially with regard to the return of Moroccans from the diaspora to their country during the summer holiday period. Several Moroccans living abroad expressed on social media their growing discontent with the significant increase in the prices of various tourist services, leading them to reconsider their choices and prefer less expensive European tourist destinations. And there have also been complaints about the prices of boat trips operated by Spanish shipping companies.
These situations are combining to affect tourism in Morocco in general.
After the coronavirus pandemic crisis, which led to major restrictions on travel worldwide, the number of journeys increased significantly, although a comparison between this year's prices and those of 2019 also shows an average increase in the prices of certain journeys with the same shipping companies affecting the Moroccan destination. This trend confirms the increase already observed in the last two years, marked mainly by a rise in oil prices, in a difficult economic context marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In fact, fuels for maritime transport are also affected, with serious consequences for travel prices.