Responsible & Ethical Travel in Morocco

Put your money in local hands

The single most powerful thing you can do is direct your spending to the people who live where you travel. Hire local, licensed guides — they hold official credentials, know their cities intimately and depend on tourism for their livelihood — and choose locally owned riads, guesthouses and restaurants over faceless chains where you can. Eat where Moroccans eat, and your money circulates in the community rather than leaking straight out of it.

When you buy crafts, buy direct from the maker wherever possible: a potter in Fes, a weaver in the Atlas, a leatherworker in the tanneries, or a women's argan cooperative in the southwest. Genuine argan cooperatives — many run by and for rural women — return income directly to the producers and offer some of the most meaningful purchases you can make; buying from them supports women's economic independence in the countryside. Be aware that some roadside 'cooperatives' are commercial fronts, so look for established, recommended ones.

• Hire local, licensed guides — verify their official credentials.
• Favour locally owned riads, restaurants and shops to keep money in the community.
• Buy crafts direct from artisans; choose genuine women's argan cooperatives.
• Be wary of roadside 'cooperatives' that are commercial resellers in disguise.

Bargain and tip fairly

Bargaining is part of souk culture and is expected, but keep it good-humoured and proportionate. The aim is a price both sides are happy with, not to grind a craftsperson down to nothing over a sum that is trivial to you but meaningful to them. Walk away politely if you don't want to buy, and never start haggling hard for something you have no intention of purchasing — it wastes the seller's time. A fair deal, struck with a smile, is the respectful goal.

Tipping (the pourboire) is woven into Moroccan service culture and matters to people whose wages are modest. Tip guides, drivers, riad staff, porters and waiters; round up and add a little for good service. Carry small notes and coins so you can tip easily. At the same time, you are not obliged to pay for unsolicited 'help' you didn't ask for, and giving money or sweets to children who beg is best avoided — it encourages them out of school; support a reputable local charity instead.

• Haggle with good humour and a sense of proportion; a fair price beats the lowest price.
• Don't bargain hard on things you won't buy.
• Tip guides, drivers, staff and waiters; carry small notes and coins.
• Avoid giving cash or sweets to begging children; donate to a reputable charity instead.

Respect Morocco's water scarcity

Morocco is a water-stressed country and the pressure is intensifying — recent years of drought have lowered reservoirs and strained supplies for farming and rural communities. As a visitor you use far more water than you might at home, in showers, pools and laundry, so conserving it is one of the most concrete responsible choices you can make. Treat water as the precious, finite resource it genuinely is here.

Keep showers short, reuse hotel towels and linens rather than having them changed daily, and don't leave taps running. Be mindful that swimming pools and lush hotel gardens in arid regions carry a real water cost. Small habits, multiplied across many travellers, make a meaningful difference to communities for whom water is a daily concern.

• Take short showers and turn off taps; every litre counts in a water-stressed country.
• Reuse towels and bed linen instead of daily changes.
• Be conscious of the water cost of pools and irrigated gardens in arid areas.
• Refill a reusable bottle (with safe/filtered water) to cut plastic as well.

Animal welfare: say no to exploitation

Some of Morocco's most photographed scenes involve animal suffering, and the kindest thing you can do is refuse to pay for them. In Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna square, Barbary macaques are kept on chains and snakes are charmed and handled for paid photos. The macaques are a vulnerable species taken from the wild, and both they and the snakes are kept in conditions that cause real distress; every dirham paid for a photo funds and perpetuates the trade. Politely decline, and don't be drawn into a quick snapshot that will land you with an aggressive demand for money.

Apply the same principle everywhere: decline rides or photos with any chained, overloaded or visibly mistreated animal, and choose working animals — such as camels and mules on treks — only through operators who keep them in good condition, well-fed, rested and not overburdened. A reputable desert or mountain operator will be visibly proud of how its animals are treated. Your custom rewards the businesses that do right by them.

• Decline paid photos with the Jemaa el-Fna Barbary macaques and snakes — it is a welfare issue.
• Refuse rides or photos with any chained, overloaded or mistreated animal.
• Choose trek and desert operators who keep camels and mules well-fed, rested and healthy.
• Never feed or handle wild macaques (e.g. in the Middle Atlas cedar forests).

Respect dress, customs and Ramadan

Morocco is a Muslim country with deep-rooted customs, and a little cultural respect goes a long way. Dress modestly, especially away from the resorts and in rural areas and religious sites — covering shoulders and knees is a sensible baseline for everyone. Always ask before photographing people; many, particularly older people and women, would rather not be photographed, and a smile and a request (or a small agreed tip for posed shots of, say, a craftsperson) keeps the encounter respectful. Note that most mosques are closed to non-Muslims — the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is a notable exception that welcomes guided visits.

If you visit during Ramadan, be considerate: many locals fast from dawn to dusk, so avoid eating, drinking or smoking conspicuously in the street during daylight, even though tourist riads and restaurants continue to serve you. Daytime energy is lower and hours shift, while evenings come alive after the fast is broken. A respectful, patient traveller is always welcomed warmly in return.

• Dress modestly, especially in rural areas and at religious sites — cover shoulders and knees.
• Ask before photographing people; respect a no.
• Most mosques are closed to non-Muslims; the Hassan II Mosque welcomes guided visits.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking openly in the street by day.

Tread lightly: deserts, mountains and community tourism

Morocco's wild landscapes are fragile, so follow Leave No Trace principles: take all your litter out with you (including from desert camps and mountain trails), stay on established tracks to avoid scarring the dunes and hillsides, and never remove fossils, plants or rocks. Quad bikes and off-road driving churn up and damage the desert and disturb its quiet — a gentler footprint leaves the Sahara as you found it. Choose desert camps that manage waste and water responsibly and treat their staff and animals well, rather than the cheapest option that cuts those corners.

Finally, seek out community-based tourism: guesthouses, cooperatives and treks run by and benefiting local villages, particularly in the Atlas and the south. Homestays, village-run lodges and locally guided treks spread tourism's income to rural communities that need it most and give you a far richer, more genuine experience. Travelling responsibly in Morocco isn't about doing less — it's about making the same trip count for more.

• Leave No Trace: carry out all litter, stay on tracks, take nothing from the land.
• Avoid quad bikes and off-roading that scar and disturb the desert.
• Choose responsible desert camps that manage waste, water, staff and animals well.
• Favour community-based tourism — village homestays, cooperatives and locally run treks.

Frequently asked