Community Development through Tourism… Acting Locally to Change Mindsets and Living Conditions

Since our agency was created our number one objective has been and still is, connecting the people of Atlas and Sahara with travellers from all corners of the world and making sure that both benefit from the cultural encounter.

We hope by immersing our travellers in a completely different culture, discovering beautiful places and experiencing humbling hospitality in the homes of local people, our guests’ perceptions of the world and the Amazigh community are changed. An exchange of worlds, where the children and adults of the remote Atlas villages also discover friendships and move on from seeing ‘Roumi’ (tourists) as income but as friends and tribe members that they can share their lives with and forge strong bonds. The cultural exchange is authentic and profound. We repeatedly experience this miracle and it gives us immense pleasure.

Thanks to the enormous power of such encounters and the positive impact it has on people our agency has been involved for many years in social development and environmental conservation programs in partnerships with several associations in the Atlas Mountains, Essaouira region and in Southern Morocco.

Our mission is to travel with integrity, have a positive impact and with a deep understanding of Morocco ensure and promote the long-term health, happiness and wellbeing of its people, wildlife and the planet. This is at the core of all the work we do and a philosophy of travel that is more important than ever.

We’ve been pioneers of community tourism since the day of our inception. Our tours are created by building meaningful relationships with local communities and directly benefitting the people and places we visit..

Tifawine NGO/ High Atlas

Tifawine is a creative community hub for women and children in R’Bat village, Ait Bougmez Valley in the Central High Atlas. This hub is a magical space where people can share ideas and visions and receive the support needed to make them a reality, supporting the women into start-up businesses and supporting them until they become self-sufficient.

Tifawine has received many volunteers and associations who have came to support the village, families, individuals, organized groups, scouts, student associations and schools;

Homeopaths Without Borders came to train the villagers in first aid skills.
Terre d’ Eveil organized soap and cosmetics making workshops for women and initiated a project to collect and promote wild plants.
An Arno Stern Painting Game workshop (awakening and psychological reinforcement through painting) was held for children of the village.
Many young volunteers and families from France have organized leisure activities and French lessons for the children of the village during the summer.
A medical team came to treat hundreds of villagers free of charge.

Project Objectives

Reducing the number of children who drop out of school

Reducing illiteracy

Promoting education and open-mindedness to youths.

Improving health conditions of the people.

Protecting the environment, biodiversity, culture and architectural heritage

Promoting the development of economic and ecological activities (organic farming, adobe construction, valorization of local plants)

EL Kebbaba EL Khamsa NGO in Skoura-Southern Morocco

Atlas Outdoor has signed a partnership agreement with the local NGO in the village of El Kebbaba, Skoura (Southern Morocco) with the aim to improve the conditions of education for children. Our agency is working with Chamaeleon Reisen, a German Tour Operator, to build a nursery and a women’s cooperative on-site. The project is almost finished and the nursery will be ready to receive the children in the coming months.

Atlas Outdoor will also finance classrooms with necessary equipment such as chairs, tables and school supplies.

In addition to supporting the future education of the village, Atlas Outdoor participates in the preservation of the oasis of El Kebbaba by planting a date palm tree for each group of travelers staying in the village.

Cooperative Assafar in Essaouira

Atlas Outdoor has become involved in a new project in the small village of Imi n’Tagant, 8 km from the city of Essaouira. The Assafar Cooperative was founded by the women of the village in 2005 with the aim of improving the lifestyle of the 46 members and the traditional production of Argan oil. We have supported the member to expand their skills by offering a soap and cosmetics workshop using various local plants available in the area to expand their Argan oil product range and encourage the association’s growth. As a travel agency we advise all our tour guides to take our groups to visit the association to support its development and hopefully promote their products if people wish to buy some of the products available.

Toudert Cooperative in the region of Essaouira

This partnership is based on planting Argan trees to combat desertification and protect the Argan tree endemic in Southern Morocco. In collaboration with Chamaeleon Reisen,this project also aims to support local women’s initiatives by purchasing the Argan oil that the cooperative produces.

We always design and lead our tours with objective that they;

Generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities (all our employees come from the Atlas or desert: workers, cooks, muleteers, camel drivers, guides)
Improve working conditions (we pay our staff more than usual conditions)
Encourage respect between tourists and hosts and build local pride and confidence
Make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage embracing diversity: we advise and fund local development associations in the Atlas.
Promote and use ecological products for outdoor activities: soaps, shampoos, washing-up and laundry liquids (100% eco-friendly and manufactured in Morocco).
Provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists through meaningful connections with local people, and encourage a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental.

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