Industry
Portugal has lost a large part of its tourists. Photo GT.
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MOROCCO/PORTUGAL. A few days after Italy and Greece, it is the turn of Portugal and Morocco to ease restrictions for travellers wishing to cross their borders.
Since this morning (Monday 7 February), people with a European health certificate or any other recognised proof of vaccination no longer need to present a negative Covid test to Portuguese customs officials. Tourism is a key economic pillar in Portugal, with a 2021 turnover of 9 billion euros, a far cry from the 18 billion recorded in 2019. It generates just over 6% of GDP, compared to 12% in 2019. The country will invest 6 billion euros in this sector to enable it to recover.
Morocco, which had closed its borders at the end of 2021, is also opening them from 7 February, provided that a full vaccination schedule and a PCR test less than 48 hours old can be presented. Travellers must provide a list of information that allows them to be easily located. Once in Morocco, they will be re-tested. As a symbol of this opening up, Ryanair will gradually reopen its services to Morocco, starting on 8 February. Tourism accounted for 7% of Moroccan GDP in 2019. According to the Democratic Labour Organisation (ODT), tourism activity would have collapsed by almost 70% between 2019 and 2021.
Since this morning (Monday 7 February), people with a European health certificate or any other recognised proof of vaccination no longer need to present a negative Covid test to Portuguese customs officials. Tourism is a key economic pillar in Portugal, with a 2021 turnover of 9 billion euros, a far cry from the 18 billion recorded in 2019. It generates just over 6% of GDP, compared to 12% in 2019. The country will invest 6 billion euros in this sector to enable it to recover.
Morocco, which had closed its borders at the end of 2021, is also opening them from 7 February, provided that a full vaccination schedule and a PCR test less than 48 hours old can be presented. Travellers must provide a list of information that allows them to be easily located. Once in Morocco, they will be re-tested. As a symbol of this opening up, Ryanair will gradually reopen its services to Morocco, starting on 8 February. Tourism accounted for 7% of Moroccan GDP in 2019. According to the Democratic Labour Organisation (ODT), tourism activity would have collapsed by almost 70% between 2019 and 2021.
