It has been confirmed, almost 3,000 people have lost their lives following the devastating earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday 8th September. Many have been left homeless after buildings were destroyed, and rescue teams are continuing attempts to reach the thousands that were injured. Several aftershocks have been felt across the region, near Marrakesh, following the initial 6.8 magnitude earthquake.
Amid the disaster, Easyjet and British Airways flew larger aircrafts into Marrakesh Airport, which is continuing to operate, to enable more tourists to leave the country early if they wished too. All other Moroccan airports have been unaffected and are operating as normal.
Understandably, those that are due to travel to the area may be hesitant.
Since the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) has not changed their travel advice, it is advised that those with upcoming holidays booked speak with their tour operator, accommodation provider and/or airline. People who are travelling with British Airways or Easyjet are being offered some flexibility with rebooking/postponing their flight and should contact their airline directly to discuss their options. The budget airline and BA Holidays are also allowing passengers to change destinations; however, a price increase may apply.
Trips to Marrakesh are still being offered by popular tour operator, TUI. Many of which are departing in the coming days.
The travel industry remains somewhat unaffected by the catastrophic disaster and most hotels are open, with the exception of a handful that have been damaged.
In this instance, it is unlikely tourists will be able to make a claim on their travel insurance if they do not wish to travel or have opted to return home early (curtailment). The exception being if their accommodation has been affected or the region they were due to travel to is inaccessible.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and a member of the team will gladly help.