Grand tour of Morocco

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. Customers are also encouraged to use water filter bottles wherever possible to further reduce the use of plastic.

The use of small vehicles helps to reduce the amount of fuel we use and therefore our carbon footprint. We also spend two nights camping in the desert at Erg Chebbi and Chegaga where we are able to experience the Nomad lifestyle. Here we eat in the traditional way, with a tagine dinner around a camp fire. The camps are run with utmost respect for the environment and waste kept to a minimum and disposed of responsibly. In Erg Chebbi water is supplied from the camp's own well, and bottled water is supplied in recycled glass bottles. The electricity at the camp is generated using solar panels.

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 stay in a variety of hotels, riads and kasbahs. In all cases they are locally owned and run and offer vital employment to local people, sometimes in relatively remote areas. Additionally, all our trips are led by local staff who have an in-depth knowledge of the country. Trained by us, they promote responsible tourism practices not only with travellers but also with locals. A key role they play is to bridge the gap between those people passing through and those living in the places we visit, encouraging interactions and conversations that are favourable to both parties.

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.