Innovation

Tourists who only go to Morocco to stay in another 4 or 5-star hotel and then watch the “traditional” evening shows and events organized by the travel agencies or hotels will not have the chance to experience the real Morocco and understand its people.

We want to tell the story of Redouane Bouwizri and his travel company, Atlas Experience, following a different approach to tourism. His vocation has always been to improve the environment and the region he lives in. What is truly inspiring is that he has found a for-profit means – his tourism agency – for advancing what he cares most about – his country Morocco.

His holistic eco-touristic approach actually benefits all the people related in a direct or indirect way to his travel agency. For example, Redouane says “the meals are cooked by the locals of the visited regions using organic food, the tourists spend their nights in the locals’ houses and participate in social events that develop the economic and the financial situation of people in the region." This is different from many companies that claim to be eco-touristic but actually only aim to make their customers appreciate nature. In contrast, Atlas Experience stands for an integrative and holistic tourism model, one seeking a peaceful society without objectifying the country and the people.

He grew up in a small Amazigh village in the region of Ouarzazate in the South of Morocco. At a very early age, and driven by his deep connection to the desert, he started introducing the beauty of the region to tourists from all around the world. “When I was young, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I used to sell small things like drawings of the Kasbahs or camels to the tourists that visited the desert. I seemed to be quite good at it because with this little job, I could afford my primary school education.”

After his graduation from high school, he started studying Sustainable Energy at the University of Ouarzazate. During his studies, he realized the importance of sustainable business development and saw the potential that combining sustainability with tourism would have. He then did an apprenticeship as an eco-touristic guide in Morocco to expand his knowledge about the link between tourism and sustainability. Directly afterwards, he worked with travel agencies but told us that “I could not really identify myself with their work and their approach to tourism. I felt that my country could be better off with a different kind of tourism that would benefit everybody involved in it, and not only the tourists.”

As he knew the desert very well, he saw that the travel agencies he used to work with were not offering tours that would show the real beauty of the Moroccan Sahara. Thus, he went on a special trip through the region in order to set up innovative tours that would include some secret places, to involve the Nomads, and to empower them to shed light on their mysterious lifestyle in the heart of the desert. Redouane Bouwizri’s travel agency Atlas Experience provides a contributory environment where every participant's experience holds diverse value. His concept really represents the heart of eco-tourism because it aims to sustain and improve the well-being of the people of his region. During their trips, tourists encounter possibilities for reciprocity. For example, tourists can provide the Native people with schooling supplies or medicine, whereas the Nomads give the tourists an authentic insight to their lives.

Another important aspect of the innovative character of Atlas Experience is that Redouane cooperates a lot with the local population. Not only does all of his family work in his business, but his business also offers themed programs that benefit the local community. One of these programs offers courses about the secret of traditional carpet-making taught by women of the region, women who normally do not have any profession.

In a nutshell, Atlas Experience’s innovation is all about a new and holistic approach to tourism that brings mutual benefits to everybody involved: the company, the tourists and the local population.

Inspiration

The inspiration started unconsciously at a very early age when Redouane showed tourists around his region and sold his products to them as a child.

“During one of my long trips in the desert, I was very moved by the beauty as well as the greatness of the Sahara and dreamed of showing this treasure to the world," explained Redouane, the CEO and founder of Atlas Experience.

He was inspired by the aim to foster the development of his home area and show its beauty and culture to the world. As a child, Redouane dreamed of taking tourists around his village to show them the lifestyle of its people and promote the touristic potential of the region. Furthermore, the projects that he worked on during his university studies in the sustainable development program, enlightened him about the importance of respecting and protecting the environment to ensure a brighter future for his region. This resulted in his goal to combine the work normally done by an NGO with his for-profit travel agency, all in order to benefit the local population. Therefore, Redouane made eco-tourism the center of his business and the source of its uniqueness.

Overall impact

Atlas Experience helps others to grow as it contributes to the region's identity and economy, as well as to the individual people. The sustainable dimension of the business and the skills of its CEO and founder combine to build a strong and responsible business that aims to flourish as it helps others. This is visible in the holistic tourism approach Atlas Experience follows in everything the business does.

There are many travel agencies in the South of Morocco. In fact, most of those travel agencies have more financial means, experience, and a bigger network than Atlas Experience. Nonetheless, Redouane’s agency is able to sustain itself and even develop thanks to its innovative, holistic, eco-touristic approach that actually benefits all the people of the region he is operating in.

Business benefit

We had the pleasure of talking to some of Redouane’s clients as they visited our university. They told us: “There are so many different travel agencies in Morocco that all promise you the best and most authentic experience of the country. This is why we were very glad to have found Redouane’s company, Atlas Experience, as it also has a social dimension to it and we like where Redouane tries to take tourism in Morocco. We think that this is the right way to develop tourism – together with the local population.”

We can thus conclude that his holistic approach to tourism, including regional development, leads to a huge competitive advantage for his business. This approach attracts customers and builds a unique brand image which in turn helps the local population. His approach to tourism consequently creates a positive change cycle, where one beneficial thing leads to another one, and in the end, everybody involved benefits.

Before actually starting his agency, he founded a social association. In that way, he was able to establish strong personal relationships with the people of his region. Exactly these people are now his business partners and he is benefiting from the close and positive way they work with each other. For instance, the women in his neighborhood are now teaching the carpet courses tourists can attend and the local authorities of Ouarzazate support him whenever he needs help like getting authorizations for one of his trips. Redouane also strongly committed himself to work together with his family. Accordingly, many of the drivers or cooks he employs are family members.

Social and environmental benefit

As mentioned before, Atlas Experience supports the empowerment of women in the region by creating job opportunities, especially for the youth. Redouane promotes knowledge and education in his home area. Therefore, this also fits Goal 16 “Peace, justice and strong institutions” of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. By providing opportunities to develop economically, he creates a safer environment that would ultimately benefit the people and thus, create peace among them.

His approach to tourism moreover enhances the intercultural exchange between the local population and the foreigners as they both learn from each other to accept and respect each other’s values, religion and culture. By doing so, he is promoting peace across borders. He is opening people’s eyes and widening their horizons on both sides of the table. His approach is all about giving and taking. The local community would introduce foreigners to their lives and customs, whereas the tourists usually bring something to the encounter as well. For instance, some people who reserve a trip with Redouane are part of international social organizations and use their trip not only for tourism, but also to help people; one group brought books to create a small library for the kids of the Nomads.

Atlas Experience brings benefit to the environment by promoting the organic agriculture. They empower local farmers because only organic food is being used for all of the meals that the company's cooks prepare. Moreover, Redouane is certified as an ecotourism guide. Accordingly, he fulfills the International Ecotourism Society’s definition of this specific kind of tourism that is described as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education."

Redouane Bouwizri’s travel agency Atlas Experience fulfills the tourists’ dreams of Morocco such as the endless widening of the Sahara, an orange fireball at the sky's ceiling that dips everything in a mystical light, their imagination of a souk full of people, the babble of voices mixing up with the smell of mint and spices and a mild breeze at the beach of the gateway to Africa. Granting his clients these experiences in turn enables him to follow his vocation and improve the lives of the local population. His business is therefore providing a contributory environment that ultimately leads to the creation of peace.

Interview

Redouane Bouwizri, Founder and CEO