An Unforgettable Journey from the Atlas Mountains to the World’s Biggest Travel Fair

April 7, 2026

An Unforgettable Journey from the Atlas Mountains to the World’s Biggest Travel Fair

Last week, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Along with three other guesthouse owners from the Ahaouz region, I was invited by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) to represent our region at ITB Berlin — the world’s largest travel trade fair.

It was my first time in Germany, my first time at a major international trade fair, and an experience I will never forget.

Our Team

We were four small business owners from Al Houze:

Myself (Said) from Berber Homestay, Ijoukak Valley
Lahcen from Imlil Oasis
Abdellah and Nesrine from Ecolodge Dar Bouhouta
Yasmine from Aux Lumières du Toubkal

We were supported by an incredible team: Jonas & Soulaymane from GIZ, and Saloua, Rime, and Amal representing the Centre Régional d’Investissement Marrakech-Safi. Together, we formed the ITB Berlin Moroccan delegation for our region.

Day 0: The Journey (March 1)

We flew from Marrakech to Munich, then connected to Berlin, arriving around 9pm on Sunday evening.

The first surprise? Everything was closed. Coming from Marrakech, where shops stay open until midnight even on weekends, walking through empty streets on a Sunday felt very strange!

We checked into the ibis budget Berlin and prepared ourselves for the week ahead.

Day 1 in Berlin: Preparation & Exploration (March 2)

Our first full day started with a preparation meeting with Diana and Elias from mascontour and Jonas from GIZ They briefed us on how ITB Berlin works, what to expect, and which events would be most valuable for us. Their guidance proved invaluable — without it, we would have been completely lost.

In the afternoon, Jonas became our tour guide. We visited the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building — iconic landmarks I had only seen in photos. The funny moment of the day? One of the security guards at the Reichstag entrance was Moroccan, from Casablanca! He spotted us immediately — I suppose we stood out a little!

ITB Day 1 (March 3): Welcome to the World’s Biggest Travel Fair

Diana came to pick us up from the hotel, and we took the train to Messe Berlin.

Nothing could have prepared me for the scale of ITB Berlin. The exhibition halls seemed endless. Thousands of exhibitors from every country imaginable. Tens of thousands of visitors — and we heard that over 20% of expected attendees couldn’t come this year due to the situation in the Middle East.

We were so fortunate to have Diana, Jonas and Elias guiding us. For a first-time attendee, navigating this massive event alone would have been overwhelming.

We started at the mascontour stand, which was close to the Moroccan pavilion (Hall 21). We spent most of the day at the Moroccan stand, talking with agencies, tour operators, and tourism professionals. We presented our region and our philosophy as local guesthouse owners committed to sustainable, community-based tourism.

It was incredible to see the interest in authentic experiences. People didn’t just want hotels — they wanted to meet families, learn to cook tagine, trek through real villages. This is exactly what we offer.

ITB Day 2 (March 4): Technology & Inspiration

The morning was spent in the technology hall, which I loved. As someone passionate about tech — I’m also co-founder of High Atlas Hiking (highatlashiking.com) — it was fascinating to see the latest innovations in travel technology.

In the afternoon, we attended a panel discussion. One of the panelists was Hamid Bentahar, President of Morocco’s National Confederation of Tourism (CNT).

I’ll be honest — it was Ramadan, and by the afternoon I was very sleepy. But the moment Hamid Bentahar started speaking, everything changed. His background, his vision for Moroccan tourism, and the projects they’re working on were truly inspiring. It reminded me why we were there and what we’re building together.

ITB Day 3 (March 5): Final Connections & Farewell

We knew Day 3 would be shorter — and we had some shopping to do before leaving Berlin!

I started with a meeting at the wetravel.com stand. We use their platform as a payment solution for High Atlas Hiking, and I had some issues to discuss. After 10 minutes of productive conversation, I headed to another meeting that Diana had arranged for us.

We said our goodbyes at the Moroccan stand, exchanged final business cards, and promised to follow up with all the contacts we’d made. Then — shopping time! We explored Berlin a little, and met one last time at a Turkish Halal restaurant for our final meal together.

The Journey Home (March 6)

We flew Berlin → Amsterdam → Marrakech, arriving home tired but inspired.

That evening, since it was Ramadan, Jonas had kindly booked a Halal Indian restaurant for our Iftar. It was a lovely gesture and a nice experience — though I must admit, not everyone in our group was a fan of Indian food.

Thank You

This experience would not have been possible without so many people:

To GIZ — thank you for believing in small tourism businesses like ours and for investing in our development. Jonas & Soulaymane, your support throughout the trip was invaluable.

To mascontour — Diana and Elias, you prepared us, guided us, and made sure we didn’t get lost (literally and figuratively). Your patience and expertise made all the difference.

To the Centre Régional d’Investissement Marrakech-Safi — Saloua, Rime, and Amal, thank you for representing our region and for your support.

To my fellow travelers — Lahcen, Abdellah, Nesrine, and Yasmine — what a journey we shared! We arrived as colleagues and left as friends. I hope this is just the beginning of our collaboration.

What I Learned

1. The world wants authentic experiences. Tour operators are looking for exactly what we offer — real homestays, real families, real culture.

2. Preparation matters. Without Jonas and Diana’s guidance, we would have missed so many opportunities.

3. We are not alone. There is a whole ecosystem of support for small sustainable tourism businesses. We just need to connect with it.

4. Our story is powerful. When I told people about rebuilding after the earthquake, about cooking with my family — they listened. They connected. They wanted to visit.

If you’re a tour operator reading this and interested in authentic High Atlas experiences, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re a traveler looking for something beyond the typical tourist trail — come stay with us. My family and I will welcome you home.

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