The Trophy for Responsible Tourism (International Category,Economic & Social Development theme) was awarded in 2009 for our work in fundraising and supporting community projects in High Atlas Villages” Policy & Procedure

Our responsible travel policy is reviewed regularly.

1. We endeavour to ensure that our staff and suppliers are sympathetic to our principles by selecting suppliers on the basis of a number of relevant criteria. We vet all the properties and suppliers we use personally and consider our suppliers more as trusted friends than business associates. We welcome opportunities to make our policies known to a wider audience eg by participating in conferences.

2. The company values suggestions and offers of help from clients. We send a holiday follow up letter to all clients and usually respond the same day to travellers’ suggestions including those concerning responsible travel practices.

Environmental Policy

3. Our UK suppliers - We subscribe to an ethical telecommunications services, the Phone Co-op . We bank with the Alliance and Leicester building society ranked ethically above the Cooperative Bank. We minimise use of paper: almost all correspondence and advertising is electronically generated. Snail mail is taken to the post box by bicycle or on foot & we support our local village PO. We use recycled stationery.

4. Our Real Morocco programme's and Moroccan Guest House's credentials

Our Guest House has solar powered water heating. We use “A” rated CFC free energy efficient fridges and buy food fresh daily to minimise storage. We use low energy bulbs for lighting where practical. The building design helps to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter, so minimising the need for heating or air conditioning. To minimise use of fossil fuels we supply local traditional long woollen garments to keep clients warm on winter evenings & we change the rooms in use according to the season.

Food and Drink at the Guest House We offer many vegetarian and vegan options on our menus, to help reduce the impact of overgrazing on the delicate local environment. We publish Moroccan vegetarian and vegan recipes on our web site. We received an award as one of the Top Ten Vegetarian holidays in the world. We encourage clients to eat and drink Moroccan style, rather than expect international food and drink by offering a variety of dishes to try each evening. We offer filtered water for drinking to reduce the volume of plastic waste caused by buying bottled water.

Educating Guests Visitors to the Guest House are provided with a pre visit information pack, notices, discussion, wide ranging displays, a specialist library and advice given by and discussion with the guides on excursions about:

  • how to reduce water and fossil fuel use: for example clients may choose to use a water saving Moroccan toilet and we have tap inserts which minimise usage)
  • how to minimise damage to the environment and wildlife
  • how to minimise waste in general

Our Moroccan staff in Taroudant have a wealth of experience and qualifications:

  • Dounia has worked for the local Biosphere Reserve
  • Said is a Science graduate who specialises in wildlife conservation, agricultural systems and environment
  • Latifa is an English language graduate with extensive experience working with foreigners including teaching both Berber and Arabic to aid workers and researchers in anthropology

Real Morocco excursions and experiences We offer visits to local communities such as a village within a Biosphere Reserve with direct or indirect environmental, social & economic benefits through their donations or by purchasing products made by the cooperative. Clients are taken in small groups, usually 12 or less. Sensitive areas are avoided e.g. if vulnerable to soil erosion or disturbance of wildlife. We offer a wide variety of cultural experiences (including language lessons) promoting a pride in the indigenous culture.

Transport Our Moroccan staff walk or cycle to work. We offer bike hire to our clients. Our Guest House is located in an area where it is possible to reach both the airport and a great variety of environments in less than an hour (occasionally 1.5- 2 hours) so, unlike many operators in Morocco, our clients staying there travel far fewer road miles. On 4 of the 7 days of the Real Morocco week, clients travel on foot.

We use well maintained diesel vehicles chosen for fuel economy and high ethical and environmental ratings (a Renault Kangoo and a Hyundai people carrier in Morocco) and encourage clients to use horse drawn taxis rather than motorised taxis in the Taroudant.

Environmental education and research We have extensive experience in this field, with the aim to help educate both our visitors & local people. We have considerable professional experience, including a network of contacts in this field which allows us to help both student groups and researchers to make contact with appropriate bodies & individuals.

We have given presentations on wildlife conservation to university students and at university conferences, given TV interviews & supplied educational materials for schools in Morocco. We regularly organise itineraries for specialist groups ranging from GCSE geography to “A” level Geography or Geology or adult specialist wildlife groups as well as our main product, the environment & culture orientated Real Morocco week, which is run weekly for 50 weeks of the year.

Our expertise has been of benefit to various projects including the Bald Ibis project, herpetological research projects with the Tortoise Trust & assisting applicants for the Darwin Initiative which promotes collaborative research on sustainability between LDCs & UK researchers. 

Language We support the work of the Peace Corps and other charitable organisations working locally: our staff teach Arabic and Berber to their personnel in Taroudant. Language lessons are also available to our own clients.

Educational visits We host a number of school groups for whom we arrange a visit local schools where they are involved in a variety of activities, including sports, forging trust & friendships. More than a third of our clients are young people, many of whom visit with their family rather than in a school group.

Purchases by us Almost all ingredients of our meals are fresh & very locally produced. All of our furniture is locally made; our maintenance is all undertaken by local tradesmen, and any goods not locally made, such as refrigerators, are at least locally purchased. We use only local transport companies.

Disadvantaged people and communities We focus on helping poorer communities and the disadvantaged such as illiterate village women who benefit from our activities, for example by paying them well to serve traditional meals in their village homes and by supporting literacy schemes.

Fundraising We produce a newsletter about the produce an electronic cookery book which we sell to clients to raise money for community projects.

5. Endangered Species Conservation - We provide information on wildlife protected by CITES, endangered ecosystems and species and projects aimed at conserving these, which the clients can support, and about tourist souvenirs made from wild species which should not be purchased.

6. Reduction of the impact of travel - We raise awareness about carbon neutralising flights by discussions with our clients. All our clients’ flights are offset through Climate Care (who support a variety of worthwhile non tree-planting projects in the Third World) both by donations from clients and us. We encourage our clients to use public transport both in Morocco and the UK by providing information about these services.

Social Policy

7. Pre-trip information - Travellers are provided with substantial pre-trip information on social and the political situation in Morocco. Our own visits, our staff and several other trusted contacts on the ground and our clients give us regular updates. Travellers are provided with suggestions of ways to minimise negative impacts on local cultures including information on dress codes, eating etiquette, alcohol, photography code, Ramadan etc.

8. Guides - Our own local Arabic and Berber speaking guides accompany all group visits to local communities to ensure that etiquette is appropriate and any misunderstandings are minimised.

Economic Policy

9. Staff - We employ only local people. Guides speak Arab, Berber & English fluently and thus are able to interpret effectively for all local people & our guests.

10. Purchases by our clients - We encourage clients to support the local economy by buying local crafts & agricultural products direct from producers for example from the Argan Forest Biosphere Reserve cooperative, from projects we have instigated; for example soap making, crafts at the local school for the Blind and a local pottery.

11. Donations - Clients are advised on appropriate donations (food, clothes & educational materials rather than cash & sweets) which are made to poor families & to the school, which are channelled particularly in a more remote villages not generally visited by tourists.

12. Aid - We support organisations such as GTZ and the Peace Corps who take a participatory approach with local communities. We teach language to Peace Corps workers who help local businesses & we involve ourselves or initiate other projects whenever we can.