Responsible Tourism
Morocco Gateway is committed to promoting a responsible attitude to visiting Morocco. It is our view that we are all guests of Morocco and its communities and with some thought and care we can ensure that everyone benefits from the experience.
Our responsible tourism policy aims to ensure that all travel to Morocco that results from the Morocco Gateway site is conducted in a way that is socially, environmentally and culturally sound.
Morocco Gateway’s Responsible Tourism policy:
- All aspects of Morocco which we promote are done so with responsible tourism in mind and we require hotels and other business partners to support this approach
- Appropriate behaviour by hotels towards their staff and local business partners is encouraged by providing them with our views on acceptable treatment of staff
- We also encourage the hotels featured on our website to provide the facilities to recycle and reduce waste
- We believe that any people visiting Morocco as a result of our website have an important role to play as well, with each person ultimately responsible for the impact of their time in Morocco. The following are some ideas, which we encourage you to consider:
Economic:
- Buy locally made crafts and support local skills to encourage the positive sides of tourism
- Consider tipping a reasonable amount for good service
- Bargaining is an accepted practice in Morocco but do so in a good humour and bear in mind the amount of money you are haggling over!
- Think carefully about giving money to beggars as it is often more effective to give money to local charity to reduce reliance and expectation
Social:
- Learn some words of the local French or Berber languages as this is appreciated and often results in getting more out of the experience
- Ask for permission before taking photographs out of respect for the local people
- Respect the local Moroccan laws, customs and cultural beliefs
- Observe the dress code of the area and be aware of differences in social behaviour and norms
- Do not buy anything which you know is or suspect is an ancient artifact
Environment:
- Try not to damage or interfere with any wildlife (animals or wildlife) you encounter. Enjoy the areas you visit but, if possible, try and leave in a better state than you found them in
- Be economical in using fresh water for showering and washing as often they are in short supply
- Please also take some time to look at the work undertaken by the Friends of Conservation, which promotes sustainable ways of living in harmony with wildlife, ecosystems and the environment. http://www.friendsofconservation.org.uk
- Morocco Gateway also encourages all visitors to Morocco to offset their carbon dioxide emissions each year by contributing to Climate Care who fund projects around the world to reduce greenhouse gases. ClimateCare is a service that reduces greenhouse gases on behalf of individuals and organisations, to compensate for their impact on the climate. ClimateCare uses funds to reduce emissions through worldwide projects in sustainable energy. Visit http://www.jpmorganclimatecare.com to find out more.
If you have any suggestions or comments regarding our Responsible Tourism policy, please get in contact with us.