Walking in Morocco vacation

Planet

Drinking water is provide in the vehicle in large 5 litre containers. These bottles are reused by locals to store either water, olive oil or any other liquids and sold in the local markets for that purpose. The drivers hand them to locals in villages or when we arrive at the hotel for people to collect them. During the walking days it is not practical to carry 5 litre bottles, therefore customers are encouraged to use water filter bottles or purifying tablets.

In the wider Atlas region on our Jebel Toubkal trekking trips we run a litter cleaning programme, covering the cost of an additional donkey to accompany our groups to carry both our litter and also litter picked along the mountain trails so it can be properly disposed of.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

On this trip we have included two local lunches, with a family in a rural Berber village near Ouirgane and at a family-run guest in Afensou. This is a great opportunity to sample traditional home-cooking and learn more about the Berber culture. We also spend four nights staying in traditional Moroccan houses known as a riad. This enables us to get closer to the local culture and gain an insight into their lives, imagining the opulence of the once grand palaces. Using locally owned accommodation and taking local meals not only provides direct employment but also has the effect of distributing money to small businesses within the villages and towns we visit along the way.

We have worked together with our local agent in Morocco for many years now and we’re proud of their responsible practices and strong ethics when it comes to tourism within Morocco. The team are regularly involved with our responsible business projects. In 2017, we funded the purchase of three looms for a women’s only cooperative based on the suggestion and brilliant business proposal from our Moroccan partner. The office staff and the on the road teams work hard to find meaningful and sustainable projects in Morocco that we can get involved with both financially and by raising awareness through our customers.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.