Enjoy early access to Amine’s story here; before it is published to all of the popular platforms on October 24, 2026.
Episode #210: Amine Nasraoui
CEO Founder | Historian Tour Guide
Morocco Vistas
Guest Bio
Amine Nasraoui is the CEO and founder of Morocco Vistas, a luxury travel agency based in Florida that combines American professional standards with deep local knowledge of Morocco. Holding a Master’s degree in History, Tourism, and World Heritage, Amine has over 14 years of experience as a state-certified tour guide. His expertise lies in creating immersive journeys that connect travelers with Morocco’s rich cultural and historical heritage. Born in a small village near Casablanca and raised in a family with roots tracing back to the Middle East and Andalusia, Amine brings a personal and scholarly perspective to his tours, emphasizing authentic experiences and meaningful cultural exchange.
Show Summary
In this episode of the Big World Made Small Adventure Travel Podcast, host Jason Elkins sits down with Amine Nasraoui to explore the vibrant history and culture of Morocco through the eyes of a dedicated historian and tour guide. Amine shares insights into Morocco’s ethnic and linguistic diversity, including the complex relationships between Arab and Berber communities, the Andalusian heritage, and the origins of the country’s name. Their conversation touches on Morocco’s unique social fabric, including the role of women, religious diversity, and the country’s open, respectful approach to visitors.
They also dive into Amine’s personal journey—from growing up in a small village near Casablanca to becoming a licensed official tour guide and launching Morocco Vistas in the United States. Amine discusses the challenges of tourism in Morocco, including the distinction between licensed guides and illegal operators, and explains his philosophy of luxury travel as an intellectually enriching experience tailored to individual interests. Listeners gain a nuanced understanding of Moroccan society, history, and the practical aspects of travel planning with a trusted expert.
Key Takeaways
- ✓ Morocco Vistas blends luxury travel with authentic cultural and historical knowledge.
- ✓ Amine’s family heritage traces back to Middle Eastern Arabs and Andalusian refugees, reflecting Morocco’s diverse roots.
- ✓ The Arab and Berber populations in Morocco have distinct languages, physiologies, and histories but are deeply interconnected.
- ✓ Morocco is a Muslim-majority country with a history of Jewish communities and religious diversity.
- ✓ Official tour guides in Morocco hold licenses granted by the government and are distinct from many unlicensed operators.
- ✓ Moroccan society is open and respectful, balancing traditional values with tolerance, including regarding alcohol consumption and women’s roles.
- ✓ Luxury travel, as Amine defines it, focuses on personalized experiences that reflect each traveler’s interests and cultural curiosity.
- ✓ Amine’s tours emphasize meaningful connections, such as visiting Berber communities and exploring Morocco’s desert and mountain regions.
- ✓ The tourism industry is vital to Morocco’s economy, and protecting the reputation of quality tour services is a priority.
- ✓ Amine supports sustainable development by dedicating part of his company’s income to providing clean water for his home village.
What You’ll Find on Morocco Vistas
- ✓ Customized tours that reflect your specific interests, whether cultural heritage, adventure, or relaxation.
- ✓ Expert guidance from licensed historians and local professionals with deep academic and field experience.
- ✓ Opportunities to explore Morocco’s diverse regions, including cities, mountains, deserts, and traditional Berber villages.
- ✓ Authentic culinary experiences, including wine and cheese pairings unique to Morocco’s evolving food culture.
- ✓ Support for travelers navigating logistics, from private jet charters to seamless arrival and departure planning.
- ✓ A commitment to responsible tourism that benefits local communities, including initiatives for clean water access.
Learn more about Morocco Vistas and connect with Amine at:
https://www.moroccovistas.com
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Podcast Transcript
This transcript is auto-generated on recording, and has not been edited by a human. It may contain lots of mistakes, crazy words, and stuff that makes no sense. The host and the guest are not responsible for the accuracy of the transcript.
Jason (01:10)
Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Big World Made Small podcast for the Adventure Traveler. So happy to have each and every one of you back today. Also excited to have a fascinating guest with us, another fascinating guest. Today we’ve got Amine Nasraoui. He is the CEO and founder of, well, and historian, tour guide, and a bunch of different things for Morocco Vistas. Amine, welcome to the show. Happy to have you here.
amine nasraoui (01:35)
Thank you, Mr. Jason. Really happy to be with you in this podcast and really happy to share with you my experience as a historian tour guide for more than fourteen years and my experience in the business.
Jason (01:48)
Yeah, you’ve got a fascinating story. We’re gonna get into that all the way probably from childhood up until now. we’ve got a f a few things to cover. You and I had a conversation last week and I just thought, yeah, this is gonna be good. We’ve got some interesting, cool stuff going on. Let’s let’s discuss your name real quick because right before I hit record, I practiced it a little bit. How did I do? Nasarawi. Nasarawi, is that about right?
amine nasraoui (02:07)
Yeah, actually,
yeah, actually you did it good. when people they will hear this podcast, they will think that you’re from Saudi Arabia. So I need to clear that you’re from US. The way how you see it is perfect. because so actually my
Jason (02:17)
okay. J just just in case anybody’s wondering. Well, I go ahead.
amine nasraoui (02:24)
my my first name is is Mohammed. So like because I’m the oldest son in the family, so like my father to bless me, he gave me the name of Mohammed, but
The famous name that all my friends and family use is Amine. So that’s why all the time, like everyone calls me Amine. so that’s like my first name. And and Nasrawi is my last name, which is mean actually it’s two two words in Arabic. Nasra it means victory, and ewi in Arabic it means coming. So victory is coming. so that’s the meaning of of of my last name. And yeah, so.
That’s that’s
Jason (03:01)
Hey, you
amine nasraoui (03:01)
it.
Jason (03:02)
you said something. I just had a light bulb go off. Sometimes I feel like I’m pretty worldly and I kind of know a lot of things about a lot of places, but when I don’t know something, I’m not afraid to admit it. And you said Mohammed, you said your dad gave you the name Mohammed because you’re firstborn. And
amine nasraoui (03:18)
Yes.
Jason (03:18)
then this little light bulb went off. And I thought, is that is that the tradition? So when somebody’s name is Mohammed, is it fair to assume they’re the firstborn son of a family? Is that or is it
Is that how it works?
amine nasraoui (03:31)
Yes, actually that’s that’s how it works in the majority of the of the Arabic families, because as you know that North Africa and Middle East we are Arabs and Muslim people. So the name of the Prophet it’s it’s a blessing for the first son. And usually the firstborn daughter they give her the name of Fatima, which is the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. So that’s why you’ll find too many Fatima in in the Arab world and
And some of the some of the Arab words they use also the name Aisha, which is she was the the wife of the Prophet Muhammad and she’s one of the holy ladies in i according to the Islam. So for men, all the time you will find that the name is Muhammad, like that’s the first name, and then they choose another name as a middle name, but in the Arab words, because since we have too many Mohammed
They know they they they wanna they wanna point who is who is the kid who makes a lot of trouble. So they give him a second name. So to not to not miss that.
Jason (04:27)
okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
amine nasraoui (04:29)
So all the time you find Muhammad Adnan and Muhammad something, you know. So
Jason (04:34)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (04:35)
all the time when you see someone, Muhammad, it’s mean that he’s the oldest one in the family.
Jason (04:40)
Is there a traditional s name that you would give a second child? Or is it just the first child’s Muhammad and then something else to identify which Muhammad? Like when you’re at school
amine nasraoui (04:50)
Exactly so.
Jason (04:51)
and the teachers is calling out your name. It’s
amine nasraoui (04:53)
Yeah.
Jason (04:54)
but is there a a a second a second son’s first name? Do you know what I’m trying to say?
amine nasraoui (05:01)
no, actually actually
usually the sac the second son he’s the luckiest. So he gets all the the the options of the names, you
Jason (05:08)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (05:09)
know. So he he’s free to be named like any name, but the oldest son all the time they all the time they choose the first name Muhammad to bless him and and all the time the first son he should be like this Mohammed. But this is only in very traditional
Arabic families, like my family. So I came from a middle class family. I was born in the southeast of Casablanca, which is a small town named Khoribga. But my parents, my family, they are descended from the Middle East and they come in the 7th century in the big immigration of the Arabs to North Africa. And after that, my family they crossed the Mediterranean in the beginning of the 8th century to Andalusia. So I’m half of Arab.
And Andalusian. So that makes make my family one of traditional families and mid class. And after that, in the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, my grandparents they were kicked out from Andalusia and they back to Morocco. So for my family, they keep that tradition of of the of the old Arabic families and even our dialects. We we are counted in Morocco as as
The the the country people of the country. So
Jason (06:23)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (06:24)
we are like more conservative families. Even even my father, he was a French language teacher, he was a French language professor, so we grow up in very open-mind family. my father, he’s he gets his retirement now, but he used to teach us that we should learn, we should discover the world, we should be more close
Jason (06:43)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (06:44)
to the others. so yeah, but but in my
Family, we still have the traditions, the old traditions, so we try to keep the identity of old Arabic Moroccan family.
Jason (06:55)
Very cool. We’re gonna get into the history for sure. And but but and you know, I mean, I was sitting here listening to you and I’m like, wow, he knows his family history. And
amine nasraoui (07:05)
Yeah.
Jason (07:06)
and then I like my my eyes glance back up to the title I just read off when I introduced you. yeah, historian. Yeah, that’s like not everybody I have a conversation with is able to my family came to Morocco and the, you know.
the seventh century or whatever it is like wow that’s that’s pretty cool so we’re gonna we’re gonna dig into that both maybe more of the family history but and yours as well and I do have one question I want to ask now because otherwise I might forget you mentioned that I I don’t know if you said it like my people our people or whatever I I think I heard you say are known as the country people did I hear that right country people
amine nasraoui (07:43)
Yes. Yes.
Jason (07:44)
is there a particular like if like in
Colombia, for example, there’s a group of people called the Paisas, which is kind of a a Spanish word for country people in a in a sense, and they live in the mountains, that type of thing. So is there a sp a particular word that you would use to describe your community?
amine nasraoui (08:03)
Yeah, actually the the word use thank you so much for this question because it’s very important question and and all the time when I discuss with my friends in Morocco about the origin of the Moroccans, it’s it’s very important topic because for us, like the country people in Morocco, like generally they call them Arabiyyah. So Arobiia is coming from the word Arabic, because
Jason (08:27)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (08:28)
they speak Arabic language, because as you know that
Lot of people they know that Morocco is divided to two populations, the Arab and the Berbers, which is they are the Amazir they are the Aboriginal people in North Africa. But a lot of people they don’t know that those people, the Berbers, they are the ones who belong to that land and the land belonged to them. So they are
Jason (08:49)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (08:49)
there for many, many centuries. But Arabiya or Arabs, they are the ones they came from the Middle East in the 7th century and they crossed the Mediterranean.
To Andalusia in in in this in
Jason (09:01)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (09:01)
the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century. So those people, they keep the old vocabulary of Arabic language. So when
Jason (09:09)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (09:10)
we speak our dialect, we speak very heavy dialect with very old vocabulary back to the 7th century. So that’s
Jason (09:16)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (09:17)
why a lot of people from the Middle East they cannot understand me when I’m talking my my dialect.
Jason (09:22)
okay.
amine nasraoui (09:22)
So they they think I’m talking Japanese or something like this.
They get nothing. so which is like it’s really good for us because that language or that dialect specifically, it’s used very old vocabulary back to the seventh century. And the funny thing is get mixed with the berber language. So we use the berber sound, the berber rhythm when we are talking. So we talk very fast and in the same time we use very old vocabulary. So people in Morocco they call us Arubiya, which is
the word come from Arabic or Arab and then
Jason (09:57)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (09:58)
it’s turned to be Arobiyya. So it’s mean that our original is Arabs. But the nicest
Jason (10:03)
Okay. Got it.
amine nasraoui (10:04)
thing in Morocco that we have a mix. So the Arabs they marry the Berbers, the Berbers they marry the Arabs and it’s been like this for many centuries.
Jason (10:13)
Well, I’m that was gonna be the next question. You probably anticipated that. That’s why you
amine nasraoui (10:17)
Yeah.
Jason (10:17)
mentioned that. Because I don’t know. I haven’t been to Morocco. I’ve had a few fascinating conversations, but every conversation like the one I’m having with you now is a new opportunity to ask new questions and learn more. So thank you for that.
amine nasraoui (10:29)
What?
Jason (10:30)
And
Do the Berbers do the Berbers and the Aerobia? Aerobia? Did I say it right?
amine nasraoui (10:36)
Aroviat, yeah.
Jason (10:37)
Yeah. Are you all speaking the same language now? Cause I heard you say
that you kind of mixed in some of the Berber language, or do the Berbers still have a distinct language? How does that work?
amine nasraoui (10:49)
no, to be honest, we have like when the Arabs came to North Africa in the seventh century, the Arabs they marry from the Berbers and the Berbers they marry from the Arabs. So that’s what we call them now Moroccans. So Moroccans
Jason (11:02)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (11:03)
is a mix of Arabic people married to the Berbers or the Berbers married to the Arabic and give us that person, he’s the Moroccan. And actually we use some
Few words in Berber language, for example, like if I wanna say send me something, I say sifat. So safat that word is belong the Berbers, but we use it in Arabic and we write it with the Arabic letters in the writing. So so this mixture between the Arab and the Berber, this is what is created, the Moroccans.
But then the Moroccans, when they crossed the Mediterranean to Andalusia, it’s become more complicated. Because the Arabs, yeah,
Jason (11:41)
Yeah, yeah.
amine nasraoui (11:44)
the Arabs and the Berbers, they married to the Andalusian, to Spanish
Jason (11:47)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (11:47)
and Portuguese. And that’s what it created the Moorish. So
Jason (11:51)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (11:52)
those people went day back again to Morocco. Now we have more than Arabic and Berbers. We have Arab Berbers and we have the Moorish or the Andalusian families who were kicked out from Andalusia in the
in the fourteen ninety two, with the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition.
Jason (12:09)
The word Morocco have anything to do with the word Moorish? Can you see the light bulbs going off of like
amine nasraoui (12:14)
Exactly. So yeah.
Jason (12:18)
I’ve never made the connection. my goodness.
amine nasraoui (12:21)
Yeah, so thank
thank you so much for asking me this question because the word Morocco is very important word, as a name of a country. so the word Morocco is coming from the word Marrakesh, which is Marrakesh, that’s where I came from and that’s my city where where I grow up and I study my master’s degree. So Marrakesh it’s it was founded in the eleventh century and was founded by a Berber king, his name Yusuf ben Teshafin.
So that city, Marrakesh, he chose the name Mar Akesh, which it means in Berber language the land of God. So actually the original name in in in Berber is Amur Akush, the land of the God. And then with the centuries, it’s become Marrakesh. So people they are pronunciate very quickly, it’s become Marrakesh. So then the Arab people, when they came from North Africa,
In that time, the the Andalusian they call them the Moorish or the people of Marrakesh. So then it’s become Moorish people. So it’s it’s like, you know, when we when we call like, for example, there is like when I came here to United States and I see a lot of Latinos like me and and my family and everyone, we call them Spanish, even they are not Spanish.
Jason (13:38)
Mm-hmm.
Right, right.
amine nasraoui (13:39)
So
because they speak Spanish language. So it’s the same. They call them the Moorish, the people coming from Morocco. Even the some many of them they didn’t come from Morocco, they come from many of the cities in the north. but then it’s become Moorish and then it’s become Morocco in English. So that’s the name of that country.
Jason (13:57)
Very cool. That was thank you so much. That’s cool. I
amine nasraoui (14:00)
With pleasure.
Jason (14:01)
I I knew I was gonna learn some things from you today. Maybe some of our listeners are like, wow, Jason, did you not already know this? But no, I did not. So that’s that’s very cool. Does so if I went to Morocco, would I be able to distinctly see the differences between Berber communities and Arabia Arabia communities?
Like is it obvious? Do they ha speak just ’cause I understand the mixed thing, but I I’m not sure I is there are there still distinct languages? Are there like will I see signs in two different languages? Will I be able to say, that person appears to be Berber and that person appears not to be? Or is it is it really so mixed that I wouldn’t even notice the difference?
amine nasraoui (14:44)
Actually, to be honest, when in my tours, when I take people in tours to to Morocco, like I say to people like you can you can make the difference between the Arab and the Berber by physiology. So
Jason (14:58)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (14:59)
usually the Arab people they are more taller than the Berber people.
Jason (15:03)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (15:04)
And actually this this this physiology it’s back to the it’s back to the background where they live. So mostly the
the Arab they live in in in in the plain like open land because they are farmers so
Jason (15:16)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (15:18)
they are they become more taller. the Berber people they bel they live in the Atlas Mountains. So for the for the geography and and and the weather in in the Atlas
Jason (15:29)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (15:29)
Mountains it’s making their bodies shorter. So they are shorter compared to the Arabs like when we talk about physiology.
Jason (15:37)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (15:38)
in in the face also you can tell the difference. because many of the Arabs now they live in in Morocco, they were kicked out from Andalusia, as I telling you. So they look more like Spanish and Portuguese. So in the face, they look more like Spanish and Portuguese. The Berber people, to be honest, they they they look more like Saharian people, sub-Saharians. Some of them
Jason (16:01)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (16:01)
are black, like dark skinned.
Jason (16:03)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (16:04)
so this thing it’s you can’t you can say it from the from the physiology, but for the first time a visitor to Morocco, you you cannot tell the difference unless if a tour guide telling you you should notice this difference. So and then you say, yeah, that’s true, because I see the difference. People in Casablanca Arab, they are tall. When I go to the Atlas Mountain to
To Urika, for example, or to any village wherezezat, Eight Ben Haddu, people are short. So actually that’s that that’s why also a lot of historians, specifically like Ibn Khaldun in the 11th century, one of the he’s the founder of sociology, by the way, back to 11th century. he says that the Berber people may come from Asia in the time of Alexander the Great.
Jason (16:53)
wow.
amine nasraoui (16:53)
because
Alexander the Great, when he attacked China, there is a group of people they escape from his army and they came to North Africa. And
Jason (17:01)
wow.
amine nasraoui (17:02)
and that’s why they like many of the historians, they say that that’s why Alexander the Great he decided to come all the way to Egypt because he was planning to attack North Africa, because he was thinking that those people they will attack Macedonia from from Mediterranean, so he wanna kill them. But when he came to Alexandria, he died. So
a lot of people they make the relationship, they say, those people they look like people from Tibet, and even their houses they are made from mud and rocks, like the Berbers, even now, 2026.
Jason (17:31)
yeah, yeah.
amine nasraoui (17:33)
So if you compare the houses between the Tibet villages and the high Atlas Mountain villages, they look the same, and you say, maybe those people they come from the same place.
Jason (17:42)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (17:42)
And if you visit any Berber village, they have a lot of spices and they produce a lot of carpets.
so it’s the same as Asians. Yeah. So so so a lot of people
Jason (17:50)
Okay. yeah, Berber carpets, of course. Okay.
amine nasraoui (17:55)
they say a lot of people they say, may those people come from from from Asia. And personally as a historian I believe some of them come from Asia.
Jason (18:06)
Yeah, that’s fascinating. What about the this is this is all teach Jason history and and culture about Morocco and then we’re gonna get into your story, I promise. But and real quick, if you don’t mind, the
amine nasraoui (18:18)
With the pleasure.
Jason (18:19)
religious so presumably the Arabea are mostly Islamic. I mean, people can change religions, so I don’t wanna say just everybody necessarily believes in iv Islam. But what about the Berbers? Did they adopt the language?
When the Arabs came, I mean, are Berbers typically Muslim as well, or do they have a different traditional religion that’s still around? I mean, ’cause I think Morocco is pretty mixed with a few
amine nasraoui (18:45)
Yes.
Jason (18:46)
different you know, more more so maybe than some of the Islamic countries. So
amine nasraoui (18:50)
So
that’s that’s true. Morocco was more diverse, talking about religion was more diverse before nineteen forty eight. we used to have a lot of Jews, they live in in in in Moroccan cities until nineteen forty eight when the state of Israel was created. So many of the Arabs many of the Arab Jews from Morocco they moved to Israel.
And and even now in Israel we have almost one point seven million Israelians are Moroccans and they still related to Morocco, they come every year. but at the moment with the the immigration of of the of the of the Jews to Israel, it’s become like almost ninety-eight percent of the population are Muslim, so Arabs and Berbers. But the Berbers in in their history, like
The pre-Islamic period, I mean pre the seventh century, exactly from the Roman period from the third century BC until the seventh century AD, this period the the many of the tribes of the Berbers in North Africa, because we are talking about a huge territory, start from Morocco in the west all the way to Egypt, all the way to Siwa Oasis in Egypt in the L Nile River, which is still exist now and they are Berbers.
In Egypt. And you can go from the north, from Algeria or the Mediterranean, you can go all the way to Central Africa. So this is all Berber people, including the Tuareg, by the way, which is they are the nomads in the in the big desert of Africa. So these tribes they were divided the territory between each other in this period, and each tribe they choose a god. Some of them they choose the moon as a god, some of them they choose.
The sun as a god. Some of
Jason (20:35)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (20:36)
them they were atheists. They say, we don’t have any God. We don’t believe in God. We believe in nature. But the Islam, when came in the 7th century, also he finds some of the Berber tribes, especially in North Africa, they are already Jews.
Jason (20:52)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (20:52)
And those people they become Jews because of the trade from the Mediterranean.
So a lot of traders they used to come from the Middle East and also from Southern Europe, they were Jewish traders. So they bring the goods and in the same time they bring the book, the holy book for the Jews, the Torah. So many of the Berbers in North Africa, speci specifically in Morocco and Algeria, all the way to Libya, they converted to Judaism. So when the Arabs came in in the seventh century.
the Berber tribes they were preparedly like they already know that there is one God and there is messengers and and they many of the tribes they were waiting the Messiah, the last messenger. And then when they say, there is there is a Muhammad, the prophet, he’s the last prophet. So many of the people converted to Islam specifically for for the Berbers. But the Jews, the Jewish Berbers, they keep their religion because they already believe in one God and they believe in in the prophets of the God.
Jason (21:53)
Was this a smooth, peaceful conversion to Islam at the time
or was I mean, there’s been conflict around the world forever, but I’m just curious, was it generally welcoming? Did the Berbers in Morocco welcome the Islamic religion easily? mean
amine nasraoui (22:09)
to be to be honest
to be honest wasn’t. we used to have some conflict. That’s why the the the second caliph Omar ibn al Khattab he sent many armies to North Africa in that time to fight against the Queen Tihia, which is she was the strongest queen of the of the Berbers. And and by the way, she’s the one created in in military in strategic the burn earth.
So she used to burn everything. So the army will never find anything to eat. But actually the the the governor of North Africa in that time, Mousav Nun Husaire, he was very smart because he said, if we want to fight against the Berbers, we will never take this land. So he said, Look, we will marry them. We will create a social relationship with them. So we’ll
Jason (22:58)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (22:58)
create it peacefully. So they know that the fights will will never give give any solution, you know. So
Jason (23:05)
It’s
I you know what just popped into my head? You’re a married guy, right?
amine nasraoui (23:09)
Yeah.
Jason (23:10)
Yeah. Well just marry them, then the fighting will stop. That’s it it’s interesting. interesting, okay.
amine nasraoui (23:13)
Yeah, exactly. So yeah, so that’s usually
one usually one when you know in in history when when military doesn’t work and war doesn’t work, they start using politics, so they marry them.
Jason (23:28)
Uh-huh. They get
married and but then the then the fighting stays in the household level. It’s just between the husband and wife.
amine nasraoui (23:33)
Exactly. So that yeah.
Jason (23:36)
All right. Well that’s okay. I mean, let’s geez. This is f so fascinating. and I usually earlier in the conversation I would have said, Hey, I mean, tell us about Morocco Vistas. What is it you do?
I think you’ve just done a great job demonstrating that, even though I didn’t ask you specifically. because anybody that’s listening to this that’s remotely interested in North African history is already like, that guy is he knows his stuff. He’s obviously been a historian, tour guide, that type of thing. So let me ask you now, what does Morocco Vistas do? What is your business? What
amine nasraoui (24:08)
Okay.
Jason (24:09)
what is it that you do to serve your clients and and help people expand their worlds?
amine nasraoui (24:13)
So
yeah, so first of all I would like to say to all the people they are interested in to book trips and join Morocco Vestad that you already get a free tour with Amine and Jason today.
Jason (24:24)
Yep. Uh-huh. You have a feel for what it might be like. Maybe it’ll be more fun if Jason doesn’t go ’cause because
you’ll have more opportunity to ask questions yourself, but
amine nasraoui (24:32)
Exactly. So the the
the only specially the the only thing that we are missing in in our conversation today is some of the expensive and delicious Moroccan wine, which is we produce it in north of Morocco. It’s great.
Jason (24:46)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (24:47)
yeah, so Morocco vistas actually
Jason (24:49)
wait, hold on.
Hold I can’t let that pass without asking because I’ll forget. Moroccan wine. So we just had a conversation about religion and Islam and Arabs and and I don’t think of Islamic people drinking a lot of wine. So I can’t let that pass. Tell me more.
amine nasraoui (25:07)
Okay, so
Jason (25:08)
Unless I’m gonna get in trouble. I don’t want to get anybody in trouble here, but
amine nasraoui (25:11)
no no actually actually we
we we are moroccans so it’s it’s very this is this is the thing that i say to people that we you should put morocco in one side and you should put the arab countries in one side so a lot of people they think that we are arabs but actually we are not we are an independent nation in north africa so
Jason (25:34)
Sure. Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (25:35)
we are Muslim we are Arabs that’s true we speak Arabic language
We believe in Islam, we believe in the rules of Islam as as any Muslim in in in all over the world. But actually we are very open society. So we are open society with respect. I will tell you what it means respect because it’s very important word. So Moroccan or Morocco, the geography or the location of the country was very important for many, many centuries.
So that’s why in Morocco we have the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Andalusian, and then in the 20th century we have the French, we have the Spanish. They all come to North Africa exactly to Morocco because it’s the only country open to Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean, is Morocco. So this this diversity created very open society, but in the same time we keep our values. So the Moroccan people.
They can’t drink wine with you, but don’t force them to drink wine. Because they will be so upset. But if you are drinking a wine, they will say, let’s enjoy a glass. But if you tell them, like you wanna drink, you should drink, you should be open, they will say no, forget it. You know. So this is this is the
Jason (26:52)
I
I know exactly what that sounds like. That yeah, that’s sounds like
amine nasraoui (26:55)
Yeah. So this
is this is the Moroccan this is the Moroccan mentality and actually we we respect everyone respect us. We we
Jason (27:03)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (27:04)
we welcome in everyone. Like a lot of people they come with me in the trip and they say, Mohammed, so I mean like what we we need to wear, what we need to do. I say, Look, just feel like you are in you are a guest in another house and
Jason (27:20)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (27:21)
and be be normal. So
Try to enjoy what the society gives you and try to keep who you are. Because people they know. Like, let’s say once I remember I was in I was in a trip and and I was with teenagers. And there is a girl, I told her, look, we are going now to the Berber village and please be respectful. So wear something long like long sleeves, pants.
so two of the girls they don’t respect that. So they come with mini jeep and I say, my god, what’s this? So I was like I’m like very shy. And then when we went to the family, like the family they were happy. And then I asked the guy, I say, You didn’t get mad from those students? He say, No, why? I say so since you didn’t get mad at them, so I’m sure you are mad at me, he say, No. I mean, look, I understand those people are coming from United States.
That’s the way how they live. That’s the way how they dress. And
Jason (28:16)
Mm-hmm. Wow.
amine nasraoui (28:18)
actually, that’s the Moroccan mentality. They know how you live and they know how how you do. So back to the to the wine in Morocco. So in Morocco, we have a lot of people that drink alcohol. And it’s one of the biggest industry in the country. so the government they make money from it, they tax it.
Jason (28:36)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (28:37)
and
And by the way, it’s illegal to drink in the street. It’s like here in Florida. You cannot grab your bottle of wine and drink in the street. So that’s
Jason (28:44)
Mm. Okay.
amine nasraoui (28:45)
that’s forbidden by the law. But actually, you can drink anywhere. The restaurants they offer wine. not not a lot of them, like for example, in the Medina, in the old cities, because it’s preserved, so they don’t give license to many of the restaurants. But like the majority of the hotels they serve wine, people they can drink wine.
but actually this is the nicest thing in Morocco, there is no judgment. No one will judge you. Like you are drinking wine or like using drugs or something like they say that’s your life. the only one can judge person is the god. So that’s the Moroccan mentality.
Jason (29:21)
Maybe they
judge you a little bit, but they don’t throw you in jail for it, right? I don’t know.
amine nasraoui (29:25)
I mean I mean y
I mean the state the state doesn’t doesn’t judge. and also the people, like people they they don’t judge you. So let’s say that you have Moroccan friends, they don’t drink, they are more religious, they will never tell you why you drink alcohol, you know? So it’s it’s more respectful. So respect it’s it’s very important.
Jason (29:47)
It’s it it it sounds a little I have very limited experience with Islamic countries, but I spent some time in Malaysia and one of the things that to me just not you know, it’s a new culture. I love it all, and there were, you know, signs on the refrigerator doors, like you could go into a convenience store and buy beer or whatever, but there was a sign right there saying that it’s forbidden to sell it to to Muslim people, you know, to Muslim believers or is is it Islamic people, Muslim Muslim people, you probably need to help clarify.
Clear that up for me as well.
amine nasraoui (30:20)
Okay, so the the Islamic the Islamic people it’s it’s a wrong word, to be
Jason (30:24)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (30:25)
honest, because it starts with with since nine eleven it’s become Islamic. because when we’re talking about Islamic, we are talking about ideology. We are talking about like more political thing in Islam. like
Jason (30:39)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (30:39)
so especially the news in the Western world they start using Islamic
ideology Islamic terrorist. But actually there is there is there is Muslim, so no Islamic because many of the Muslim around the world, which is like two billion people around the world, they they they don’t have they if you ask them they say I’m Muslim, not Islamic, because Islamic to be honest is was it was misused by by by
Jason (31:05)
Mm okay.
amine nasraoui (31:06)
then by the news. So it’s become like a charge. It’s like you say to someone
you’re Islamic, it’s like you are guilty, you know. So that’s
Jason (31:14)
Yeah. Okay.
amine nasraoui (31:15)
that that’s the that’s the use to be honest. It’s it’s more ideologic, the Islamic word.
Jason (31:20)
I’m happy that came up. Thank you. Cause
amine nasraoui (31:22)
Yeah, welcome Peter.
Jason (31:23)
I’ve I’ve I think I’ve had a couple of people trying to explain to me which you should use one, you shouldn’t use the other, and you just made it real clear for me. So thank you. That’s
amine nasraoui (31:31)
Yeah. Welcome.
Jason (31:32)
that’s great. Okay. So obvious so part of what you do with your business is you take people out for amazing food and great wine and and and we we got into that for sure, but but tell us a little bit more because not so much the history. Let’s say okay, right now you live in in the US, you live in Florida.
so tell us more about what does your business model look like? Like how do you help people experience Morocco if you’re in Florida?
amine nasraoui (31:55)
Okay, so thank you for this question because Morocco Vistas it’s it’s a company I hope that people they will know more because Morocco Vistas it’s Amine and Amine is Morocco Vistas because for
Jason (32:08)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (32:08)
me I’ve been working as official tour guide by the Moroccan states, recognized by the Moroccan states by the Dahir, which is a lot of people they didn’t know that that we
As a official tour guides, we get our license by a dair, which is it’s a part of the Moroccan constitution. And the Dahir number one point twelve point thirty-four, it says that the tour guide he should be educated person, he should be a Moroccan person, and he’s the one allowed to get the license. And the tour guides in Morocco in general, we are four thousand six hundred and twenty-three.
tour guides in all the country. Yes. Yeah, because this is
Jason (32:46)
Okay exact roughly. Okay.
amine nasraoui (32:51)
like official number. So we
Jason (32:53)
Uh-huh.
amine nasraoui (32:53)
are few in in all the country. And many of the tour guides
Jason (32:56)
Is that a is
that like a limited number like one of you guys has to retire or die before another one can get a license? okay.
amine nasraoui (33:04)
Exactly. So actually there is
no retirement in Turgeide. So it’s it’s a privilege that the king he give it to you. So it it will stay exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So
Jason (33:11)
Wow. It’s like being a taxi driver in New York City, maybe. You get the you get the token or the ’cause what no, it’s not like that. But anyway, go ahead.
amine nasraoui (33:20)
so this one is like a title. You get it by the king and by the Moroccan constitution. And and the only thing that you lose your license is you die. and and in the past it’s used to go to your son.
if he’s educated, but not anymore. So it’s it’s done. So actually I I
Jason (33:36)
So wait, so
if so if some young guy wants to become a tour guide, somebody else has to die. That that sounds like a dangerous situation. That sounds like maybe maybe they didn’t think that out. Okay.
amine nasraoui (33:45)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah,
so the people they want to be tour guide, I’m already in United States. Yeah, I will say. Yeah,
Jason (33:54)
You feel safe? Okay.
amine nasraoui (33:57)
so so actually this this title it wasn’t easy to get it to be honest, because when I started working in tourism, in the beginning I started in two thousand nine and I I started working I I was student then and I started working as
professional driver with different companies in in Marrakesh and I take people in tours all over Morocco. So that’s giving me the opportunity to learn every single square feet of the country. So by villages, by cities, by hotels, the quality of the hotels, the quality of the food. So I I used to know every, every single thing. I I know every road in Morocco now. So I can’t send you
drive it by yourself without GPS. So you can’t just make a call and I need to turn right or left. So I can’t tell any where where to go.
Jason (34:43)
All right, that’s cool.
amine nasraoui (34:45)
then after that I I decided to pass the exam, which is a national exam that the government they open it once every five years, something like this. And we passed the exam in language, in geography, geology, history, ethnology, and and I was one of the one of the best
in the exam so I get the license and and after that I decided to start working as a freelance. I start working with big companies like Avercrombie and Kent as I tell you last week
Jason (35:14)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (35:14)
and many other big companies. and after that I start realizing one thing very important that the luxury in tourism business it’s become just for marketing. So then I say so what they sell people like luxury travel, luxury tour.
So it should change. Actually, they give people nice hotels. You know, everyone knows Lamamuni, Ruayel Mansur, Amenjana, like luxury hotels. But between the hotel and the hotel, there is no luxury. You know, it’s it’s just regular trips. Like people they don’t see behind the cities, they don’t see what they need to see. And also we have another problem, which is a lot of illegal tour guides, they work by the name of tour guides.
So when people they complain they say, my tour guide in Marrakesh was really bad. No, he’s not a tour guide. So he he’s illegal tour guide. So like
Jason (36:08)
How d how did the how do they get in front of people to the point where people think they’re a tour guide? Like
amine nasraoui (36:14)
So a lot
of people they meet you in the street, they say, you know what? This is the Lakutubia. They’re giving you a little bit of the history of Lakutubia. And they you know, I’m a tour guide working, I can work with you for free, showing you around, but actually not for free. Yeah. So not
Jason (36:28)
For free.
amine nasraoui (36:30)
for free. You’re gonna be end up in in in like small shops that you will be locked down and you need to pay your exit out because those people they get commissions. And and also those people like
many of my friends they say like it’s happened to me once in Ramadan in 2014. I had a friend he called me. He said, there is there is a couple from Netherlands, they are like upset. Please can you come to help me? So when I come there, I find this couple, they were really upset. And I say, What’s happened? He say, there is a tour guide, he slapped my face. I say, Really? He said, Yeah, he physically attacked me. I say, like.
Who is this tour guide? He said, I need to see the police and everything. And then when we went to the police, the police they pull out the camera because the cameras are everywhere in Marrakesh. And finally
Jason (37:18)
Mm.
amine nasraoui (37:18)
they arrest him. And then when we see him, I say, Look, man, this is not a tour guide. He says, No, he tell I’m a tour guide. I say, Look, you need to figure out if he’s a tour guide. And usually the tour guides they have a badge. So those people, they are not tour guides. And this guy, when he takes them to a shop, he was so mad.
and and because they didn’t buy anything and it’s end up physically.
Jason (37:42)
I
I think I get it. I think the the ruse is they might say to the the people from the Netherlands or the US or whatever, yeah, I’m a tour guide, whatever, but I’ll but it’s free. I’ll give you a free tour. Because as long as they’re not asking to get paid, they’re probably not technically breaking the law. I’m just guessing. Like I didn’t ask for money, so therefore I’m not breaking the law. I’m not getting paid to be a tour guide. I’m just being a nice guy.
And take them around to the stores. And as long as the people with them are buying things, this free guide is happy because he’s gonna get some money. But if he spends half a day with somebody and they don’t buy anything, then it starts to get really intense because then he’s getting annoyed and pissed off. And you got look, you gotta buy something because if you don’t buy something, I just wasted my time and the the the people are thinking, I thought you said it was free. So I can see how I is that pretty much what happens? Yeah.
amine nasraoui (38:36)
Yes, and usually
if you didn’t buy anything in the end, they ask you for money. They say, you waste my time, you did like this, you did like this. And actually these these people usually that’s why in Morocco we we have a tourist police. So they are they are they are undercovered, so they have like civil dress and they are all over. Actually many of them they look like you and me, so
Jason (38:55)
They look do they do they look like me? All
amine nasraoui (39:02)
So
Jason (39:02)
right.
amine nasraoui (39:03)
they they go and they arrest those people because because those people are very dangerous for for the visitors of the country because
Jason (39:10)
The reputation,
I mean I’ve that is one thing. I told you I don’t know a lot about Morocco, but I’ve heard those stories, unfortunately.
amine nasraoui (39:14)
Yeah. Yeah. So the reputation,
yeah, the reputation is really bad, especially in Morocco. The tourism industry it represents nine percent of our GDP. So which it means that it’s very important number. And now we have almost 20 million tourists. So you can imagine if we lose that number. So the the the the country, the the the country they decided to stop them, put them in jail, like give them fines. So even that, they keep doing that.
the the government they are looking for somehow they will integrate them in jobs, giving them jobs in Riyadhs or hotels so they can they can have nice jobs. But the problem is that the people they should know, the visitors they should know that everything is free, you’re gonna pay more money later. So
Jason (40:03)
Mm.
amine nasraoui (40:04)
please don’t do that. So for me I decided to like clarify to people that we have
very qualified tour guides and and you don’t need to look in for a tour guide by yourself. You can go just to your hotel and tell to one of the staff in your hotel, please I need a tour guide for tomorrow. Those hotels they have the phone numbers for official tour guides. They will call them, you will you will have a tour. And also if you if you want to go to the Medina, you want to go to do shopping, the usually the tour guide, I I I make the difference between a tour guide
Official tour guide and and and illegal tour guide as the difference between a sommelier and a bartender. So if you want
Jason (40:48)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (40:48)
to buy something, usually the sommelier he will tell you if this wine is authentic, it’s good, it’s you know, and the bartender he just serves you. He says, This is Malbek, this is Caverney, you know, that’s it. So he just serves you.
Jason (41:00)
Well that’s that’s
on the that’s on the level of expertise if comparing by expertise, but then you also like have the whole legal part. So
amine nasraoui (41:08)
Yeah.
Jason (41:09)
so it’s like the difference between a small yeah and maybe a bootlegger or something, right? That just has
amine nasraoui (41:13)
That’s true. That’s true.
Jason (41:16)
a trunk full of stuff that you can get on the street. It’s all illegal and it’s gonna taste like crap and might make you sick, but okay. All right.
amine nasraoui (41:21)
That that that’s true, that’s
correct, because a lot of people they like when I when I used to work a lot as a tour guide in Morocco, only last year I was there in Marrakesh and I was working with a group of people from United States from Utah and there is a guy, he’s he he tell me, I wanna buy a rug. And then I ask him very weird question because it’s it’s come like automatically in my brain. I say, would you like
A rug from the middle atlas, the high atlas, or the desert? And he was like, What this guy says? And then I say, sorry, I forget. So like you know, because my experience, I know the difference between them. So he said, I I don’t know what you’re talking about. I say, Okay, you know what? I I will show you. So when I take him there, he see the difference and he see the difference in quality, and he said, no, I’m I know what you are talking about. So usually these details, this is what is created, luxury service.
Because
Jason (42:18)
You know,
yeah, I was ’cause I think what you just said kind of caused me to think about some. Like I look at pictures of maybe I don’t know, the Medina, the re the like Medina’s the market, right?
amine nasraoui (42:33)
Medina is the old town.
Jason (42:35)
Okay, so okay, so I’m
envisioning a market with all the different spices, right? When I think of Morocco, that’s what I see. The spices and these old guys that have been there for eighty years, so you know, sitting in front of the same selection of spices. And I think, my gosh, I would like for me to walk in and try and have a conversation with each person, hey, what is this? Hey, what is that? What does this taste like? I would after
Cause I would do because I’m pretty outgoing and curious. But after a while I kind of start to feel a little bit douchey. I I that’s not a good word to say, but I feel a little bit bad that and so anyway, my point is I’m envisioning going with somebody like you. I’m gonna have a totally different experience. Right? Cause you’re gonna you’re gonna be able to explain it all. I’m not gonna I’m paying you, so I don’t feel bad about asking you all these
amine nasraoui (43:20)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jason (43:22)
questions. Cause the reality is I don’t wanna buy a bunch of spices. If I’m, you know, if I’m on vacation, I might buy some.
But I you get to the point where you feel bad asking too many questions the people that are there trying to sell stuff. So has someone having someone like their like you there with me would be great. Or like the differences between the different types of rugs. I’m not gonna buy a rug, but I’d like to know the differences.
amine nasraoui (43:40)
Yeah, so yeah. So
that’s that’s true because because this is this is the nicest thing about Morocco. If you compare Morocco to another country, that in Morocco we don’t have a this a historical disconnection. So the people they used to make rags, for example, back to the third century BC in the time of the Romans, they still do it even now. And
Jason (44:02)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (44:03)
actually those those items like rags or spices or pottery or like
mosaic it’s telling you the history of a group of people they live in Morocco and they used to leave their grandparents they used to leave and they keep that tradition of making these handmade so it’s not only about shopping it’s about learning. So as you say if I go by myself to the market and I start asking what’s this what’s this what’s this you can get the name so about this is paprika this is indigo this is so but
Jason (44:36)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (44:37)
But you will never know the story behind.
Jason (44:38)
You’d never hear the story, yeah.
amine nasraoui (44:40)
Exactly because for example, indigo was bring Morocco in the 11th century by by the Tuareg. And those people, they are the ones who founded Marrakesh. So then the story will will continue and you will understand why they bring that indigo, because they were dyers, they died the wool. And
Jason (44:57)
Right.
amine nasraoui (44:57)
those are the people later they make the Tuareg carpets and the
Twara carpets was very important in the marriage because the husband he should give it to his wife. So there is a lot of important beh important history behind this little piece of indigo, for example,
Jason (45:15)
I’m
amine nasraoui (45:16)
in the country.
Jason (45:17)
I’m curious. I had an experience trying to connect with this with what I imagine we’re discussing right now, but I had an experience in I think it was in Ecuador. They’ve got basically there’s like empanadas and pasties and there’s different treats with either flour or corn or whatever wrapped around them. without going a long story I
Ask three different people. You know, I went to one that was selling this, I think they were called pasties. And I said, Hey, is this like an empanada, but it’s made out of maybe flour instead of the corn? And they didn’t know. They’re selling them. They did not know what it was like, if it was corn or flour. And I’m thinking, how can somebody not know this? And they look like they’ve been selling them for a long time. I go to the next person. They don’t know the answer either. The next person though don’t that doesn’t know the answer. My point where I’m going with this is.
It may be traditional. They may been doing it a long time. Their parents might have taught them how to do it, but they still don’t necessarily know why it’s made this way or or the the story behind it, I guess is what I’m saying. So I can imagine somebody like you mentioned in the market, maybe they’re selling indigo. And they I say, What is that? It’s indigo. And they’ve been selling indigo for 80 years and their father sold indigo and their father’s father sold indigo, but they don’t know why they’re selling indigo.
amine nasraoui (46:37)
Yeah. Or where it came from.
That’s true. That’s true.
Jason (46:40)
Where
it’s where it like, you know, is where is that from? Did that come f with the Arabs back in seven hundred, you know, eighty and they’re like, what dude, what are you talking about?
amine nasraoui (46:51)
Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. Actually,
that’s that’s the main point for having a tour guide. Specif I mean there is there is different also tour guide, as you say before. Like for example, when you have a historian tour guide, he knows about the history and he knows about everything. He can’t tell in you what’s happened and why. And and actually that’s that’s the nicest thing. This is what I like about my job, and that’s why I founded the company.
Morocco Vistas because as I tell you that I see that the luxury travel it’s not about the experience. It’s not about the the place where you stay. It’s not about the wine that you’re gonna drink. It’s not about like the luxury vans that you will drive around. It’s about the feeling. And the feeling is come with the knowledge. So you cannot have
nice feeling in very nice restaurant if you don’t have if you have no idea about the menu. If if I put the menu in front of you, the decor is beautiful, but you never seen the menu. You have no idea. No one explained to you the menu. The experience it will be so bad. So this is this is why I decided to found it Morocco Vistas. Because tourism industry, unfortunately, the word luxury it’s become only for marketing.
And I don’t wanna do marketing to be honest, just to sell the trips to people. I want people to understand that they’re gonna have the real knowledge about the country because they are traveling not with anyone, with historian tour guide. I have people in the field, they are my friends. since we were together in the university, they are very high educated with master degrees, with PhD, so those are my group.
Jason (48:38)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (48:38)
If
I’m not there, they will be there doing the work. And in the same time, those people, they’re gonna give you the real experience you deserve. So a lot of people when they get luxury travel and they find out their self in waiting the queue to visit one monument and just to take pictures, you know. So
Jason (48:54)
Yeah. But let
me let me ask you this, because I think this might be part of the challenge we’re discussing for you and your business, but just for the the travel st industry in general is luxury means different things to different people. The people that are going to enjoy your luxury are not there’s other people out there that literally going to a really nice restaurant and not knowing anything about the menu.
Or staying in a really nice hotel and having and never leaving the hotel or like a beach resort or people that just really like to be pampered. They like to feel like I spent a lot of money and I can take my Instagram photos and put them on Instagram showing all these expensive places I went to. But you know what? They don’t give a crap about where indigo came from. Or they don’t, you know, they don’t care about the different types of Berber rugs in in Morocco.
So you know what? Maybe that person is getting their luxury experience, but but that person is not gonna be the right person for the luxury experience you’re giving out. I’m just guessing. Because I think you’d
amine nasraoui (50:01)
Yeah.
Jason (50:01)
get frustrated. You’d be like, Come on, let’s go. What are you doing? I don’t know. What do you think?
amine nasraoui (50:04)
Yeah, so
that’s that’s a great question. Thank you so much because you point this this very important point. So actually for me, when I telling you that I want people to get real luxury experience, that’s that’s me when I will be there. So
Jason (50:20)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (50:20)
I I want I want people who are looking for this quality of hotels, quality of transportation, quality of the information, quality of the flights. So we have I have now
contract with a lot of private jet companies here in Florida. So we offer that service also. So actually for me, I’ve been working in this industry with different kind of people. So I can that’s why I do best book trips. So like according to what people they need, because I have a contact in Morocco. Like for example, you can go now to Marrakesh to Jamalifna and you can ask them
I know the tour guide, Amine Nasrawi, the American one. So because I I moved to America, they start calling me the American. Everyone know me. So everyone
Jason (51:06)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (51:07)
know me. So this this trio of the academic knowledge and the field experience and the social network, it’s giving me like very high experience to organize any kind of the trip. So if you wanna stay in a nice hotel doing yoga, I have it.
Jason (51:24)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (51:24)
if you
wanna go to a nice hotel, offer hookah and nice wine, I have it. So why I do that? Because I want people to get my to to get the benefits from my experience. Because a lot of people they say, you know what? I book Oberwa in Marrakesh. It’s a nice hotel, very beautiful. The food is amazing, the drink is amazing. But the problem is, I did they didn’t tell me in the website that it’s like
Four miles away from the downtown, and I don’t want to drive. So this is why people they need a travel expert, not a travel agent. So Morocco Vestas is a travel expert, not a travel agent that’s selling you specific trip. No, we are doing different kinds of trips, any kind of trip. You want fishing in Morocco, you want surfing, we do have our great contact. And those people we send you there.
They know me personally, they know my group because we’ve been in the field for many, many years. So you will be there. Even I’m not there, my friends are not there. You want to stay in the hotel, but you will be surrounded by my friends. So all the time they
Jason (52:30)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (52:31)
will come. did you text Amine this morning? Did he text you? How is he? He’s good. Like you will feel that you become part of the family. And that’s the luxury, in my opinion, is to integrate it in any society that you visit in Morocco.
Jason (52:46)
Yeah. I tend to see it from a similar perspective when the word luxury comes up. It’s I recognize that some you know, like I said earlier, some people luxury is just like I spent a lot of money and there were chocolates on the pillow when I went to bed or whatever. I don’t know.
amine nasraoui (53:01)
Yeah.
Jason (53:02)
There was a small air there that was great, but we didn’t ask any questions ’cause we don’t care. You know, so there’s that type of luxury and then there’s more like, you know, for me luxury luxury could be
Camping in a small tent and riding horses every day for a week. You
amine nasraoui (53:17)
Yeah.
Jason (53:18)
know. No the other type of luxury person will look at that and say, my god, that sounds horrible.
amine nasraoui (53:22)
Yeah.
Jason (53:23)
You didn’t take a shower for a week or what or
amine nasraoui (53:26)
Yeah.
Jason (53:26)
whatever. You ate you ate beans and rice for a week. What’s wrong with you? And and to me, I’m thinking, wow, that’s the best trip I’ve ever had. So, which is great. People get but
amine nasraoui (53:33)
Yeah. So
Jason (53:35)
you’re right, we use the word luxury in marketing and it makes it hard, doesn’t it?
amine nasraoui (53:38)
Exactly. So I will tell
you I will tell you one story, Jason. Happened to me in 2016. I was with a couple, they came from United States from New York in a private jet to Marrakesh and after that they they book a trip which is luxury trip through a company, local company, and I used to work with them. So we take them in a tour, go into the desert, everything was like top. And and this guy with with his wife, they were like
upset and then like I see that they are not happy, they are not enjoying, and then I ask them, Why are you not enjoying? Like they say, you know what, we didn’t bring the kids. So you know, I I know that they’re making excuses. but then when we arrived to Tinir, which is a small town and very important town in in in the south of Morocco, in the in the Atlas Mountains, I was going to take them to the Tudra Gorge, which is one of the highest gorge in in the Atlas Mountains and North Africa.
And I say, you know what? Let’s give them original experience. So I call one of my friends over there. I say, Mohammed, are you available? He said, Yeah, I’m available. I’m just doing some farming. I say, you know what? Come next to the road. So Mohammed he comes to next to the road, next to the Tudra Valley. And then I take these couple to very old villages, ruins, like the road is not clean. I take them to the market to see where people buy food and stuff.
And I took them to the old village of Jewish people in Tingir. And and then when we finished the the the tour, the guy was super happy, like super, super happy. And then I take him to the car. And I was driving to the south, and then I say, like, I should ask him like what he liked about that experience. Yeah,
Jason (55:19)
Yeah, what was it about that that you liked so much?
amine nasraoui (55:21)
because it was outside of the program. I make it for myself. I I
Jason (55:23)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
amine nasraoui (55:25)
took the risk. And then I tell him, like.
What do you like about this tour? He says, you know what, Mohammed? This is the kind of experience I like. I like to see how people they live, I like to see the farms, I like to see how people they live in their life. I don’t want to be with thousands of tourists and all people taking pictures and selfies. And he says, This thing you did to me, this is luxury thing, and this is the best thing in all the trip. And then I discovered that this guy, his grandparents.
They were Jewish from the same area.
Jason (55:58)
was wondering you you mentioned if you’re from New York and you took a yeah, I was like, Okay, that’s cool.
amine nasraoui (56:02)
Yeah. So and then he said, you know
what? My grandfather he used to tell me stories about those places, and I was so happy to see them by my eye. And then when I went back to New York, I would say this story to my father. And this guy, he was like taking pictures with me and hugging me. And he said, You know what? I will tell to all my family about you and about your experience. So the point is, yeah,
Jason (56:25)
That that is so cool because peop go ahead. Yeah, absolutely.
amine nasraoui (56:29)
so the point is that.
I figure out that this company even they are selling this trip with thousands of dollars to this guy because he can afford it and he’s happy with it. They don’t know what this guy wants.
And that’s the mistake.
Jason (56:43)
And he I’m not gonna say he didn’t know what he wanted, but he may not have known well enough to express it. Because
amine nasraoui (56:51)
Exactly.
Jason (56:52)
here’s the thing, you you took him like you don’t know what you don’t know. Like if I if it’s my first time to Morocco and I’ve got Jewish heritage and I remember something about my grandpa or my dad at some point saying something about Jewish people in Morocco, am I really gonna show up and say, hey, I mean
I you seem to recall my dad saying something about Jewish people in Morocco. Can you help me connect with that? Maybe you’d have a place to start, but people aren’t aren’t likely to say that stuff. They’re more like,
amine nasraoui (57:23)
That’s
Jason (57:23)
I’m here, you show me, I mean, show me whatever you think I should see, but you don’t know what they want to see. It’s hard. So it takes that skill. It and it also sounds like that was a real aha moment for you.
As far as how you approach your business. It’s I I I don’t know, would you say that was one of the things that’s really caused you to shift your attitude around luxury and what that means?
amine nasraoui (57:46)
Yeah, actually yes. for me, before anyone like book the trip, like I send him few like couple questions. do you like this? You wanna do this, you wanna do Andalusian heritage, you are interested in the desert, you’re interested in Jewish heritage, you are interested in relaxing hotels, you don’t wanna drive a lot. Because through those questions I I know what people they want exactly. So I will make the trip
according their need and what they want to see exactly. Because some of the people they want just to see the desert, sleep under the stars. As you say, some of them they want to stay next to the pool. But some of the people no, they are really into the adventure. They want a nice
Jason (58:32)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (58:33)
hotel, but in the same time they want the real adventure. They want to discover what’s behind those monuments. What’s Morocco. Because to be honest, Morocco is a country
Full of details. Full of details. Really, really full of details. Some of the people they I did many of the trips that people they contact me just for the wine tasting in Morocco. So we
Jason (58:54)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (58:55)
do wine tasting like with different cheese. and people they get shocked when they know that I tell them, okay, this cheese from this area, this cheese from this area, you can pair it with this, you can pair it with this. And they say, this is
Jason (59:06)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (59:06)
great. So we know about the wine, but we don’t know about the cheese. So people they discover something new.
Jason (59:10)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (59:12)
so actually I’m I’m I’m flexible to do that. That’s why I decided to found Morocco Vistas. And to be honest, what’s helped me a lot that when I came here to United States, I started working for Disney, as I telling you.
Jason (59:26)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (59:26)
So Disney company teach me one important thing that’s every single guest his individual. So we treat him individual. That is his specific needs. He won
Something from his trip. So the one who came to Disney, for example, he some of them they come for the pool, but some of them now they come to take pictures with characters. So it’s the same
Jason (59:50)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (59:50)
for me. Some of the people they want the pool, but some of the people now they want to enjoy the Mediterranean, swimming in the Mediterranean or doing doing the surf in the Atlas in the Atlantic Ocean. So people are not the same. That’s why I say that every trip.
And I say it in the in in the in the website that every trip it’s made specifically, so exclusivity, exclusive. That’s what it’s mean for me, luxury. So something specifically for you. So that’s what it’s mean luxury for me, not not the marketing one. Yeah.
Jason (1:00:26)
Love it. I don’t know
how you can answer this question, but I I’m curious to to to see. Is there a f yeah, I just gotta ask. I’m trying to answer it in my head before I ask. Is there a favorite thing you like to do in Morocco? A favorite thing you like to show people? And I know you no. I’m gonna quit quit trying to answer your question for you. Is there a specific thing that you like most of to show people?
amine nasraoui (1:00:49)
So thank you for this question. I like I like actually it’s really funny. I like to show it people a coffee shop.
Jason (1:00:55)
okay. I was not expecting that. Okay, go ahead.
amine nasraoui (1:00:59)
So I mean this is personally. Like personally, I like a coffee shop in in yeah. Actu actually
Jason (1:01:02)
Yeah, yeah. ‘Cause maybe they don’t like coffee shops. I get that. That’s why it’s a hard question sometimes, but go ahead.
amine nasraoui (1:01:08)
even when they don’t like the coffee shop, they like the architecture. It’s beautiful,
Jason (1:01:11)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:01:12)
it’s really beautiful. You can Google it, it’s Darali Besha coffee shop in Marrakesh. It’s it’s amazing. Even if you don’t like coffee, sitting with someone over there having a conversation with all the beautiful arch the Andalusian architecture.
people wearing tarbos serving you. It’s it’s like it it’s
Jason (1:01:30)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:01:30)
it’s it’s like from you are in a movie in in in the middle centuries, you know, it like old days. So I I like that place. But personally also as a tour guide and as a historian, I like to show in people mostly the desert and the south the the southeast of Morocco, especially when I take people to visit the the Berber people, which is they still live.
In the in the in the caves. So some of the Berber people they still live in the caves. we call them nomads. So that experience for me it’s it’s very important because it’s showing you the original people, the Berbers, how they used to live behind the big houses and the big kasbas. So it’s showing you also the lifestyle of the farmers and it’s making people more close to the Berber people. So I like that experience a lot.
taking people to visit the nomads, which is many of them they say it’s it’s a great experience having tea with the nomads in their tent or inside the cave in the mountain. Even people that stays in five star hotels or like very luxurious one, they say, this is the best moment. You know, it’s g it gives
Jason (1:02:42)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (1:02:42)
them the feeling that they get something that not a lot of tourists they get.
Jason (1:02:47)
Very, very cool. Well answered, man. I I was like, I would have went a bunch of different well, it depends. Everybody’s different. Dah dah dah, dah. But it, but I really appreciate the way you answered that because I wanted to tap into what gets you excited. Right. Because that’s an important part. I think most of us that work in tourism value those moments that get us excited. It’s, you know, very few of us are doing it just, this is a great moneymaker.
I don’t like the work, but you know, I can make great money. No, it’s those it’s those moments that you probably look back on now and think, how fortunate am I to have been able to share that experience with people that went to the desert in southeast Morocco, met the Berber people, had tea and went in their cave. I mean, that’s pretty damn cool. Right? It’s kind of the same thing I get out of even doing this podcast is just having interesting conversations. I’m like, I’m so lucky that I get to do this. So so thanks for sharing your personal interests.
that’s that’s very cool. All right, we need let’s talk about you said this is gonna be a test my memory. Let’s see how close I can get. I think you said that you grew up in outside of Marrakesh in a small village on the south side of southeast, southwest. I don’t I’m just trying to remember
amine nasraoui (1:04:06)
Yeah.
Jason (1:04:06)
what I remember. But we said so I wanna hear about your childhood actually. I wanna understand like what
What were you growing up doing? What were your parents doing? What was life like? so let’s touch on that a little bit.
amine nasraoui (1:04:16)
yeah. So as I tell you no, I was born in Huribga, which is a small town in the southeast of Casablanca. And I So yeah. So yeah, and
Jason (1:04:22)
Casablanca. See, I wasn’t even close. Casablanca. Now I remember. It was an hour ago.
amine nasraoui (1:04:29)
I was I was born in a very small village in the south of of Casablanca named Bir Mezwi. so this small village, it was a great place to be honest. So that’s
Jason (1:04:41)
What does small
village mean to you? I don’t know if you know the numbers or population or anything like that, but what does small village
amine nasraoui (1:04:47)
So yes.
Jason (1:04:49)
mean?
amine nasraoui (1:04:49)
So small village in Morocco, it’s usually the population between four thousand, six thousand people, something like this.
Jason (1:04:55)
Okay. All right.
amine nasraoui (1:04:56)
So more than six thousand. I think that the government they they they choose a mayor and then they turn it to a city. because in Morocco we still go by the population for the villages and the cities.
Jason (1:05:07)
Mm-hmm. Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:05:09)
So this small village, when I was a kid, it teach me the importance of a family and friend.
And since that moment I become very social person. So and and it’s helped me a lot. Even here in United States, I have thousands of friends. Even that lot of people they say, it’s hard to make friends in in in in United States, I tell them, you don’t know Amine yet. So like I I’m like very
Jason (1:05:33)
Ha ha ha ha.
amine nasraoui (1:05:35)
close person to people. I create console conversation quickly and you know I
Jason (1:05:39)
Were you that
were you that kid when you were young where your parents are like, I mean, please just shut up for a minute. Quit us, quit you know.
amine nasraoui (1:05:44)
Yes, they do. Especially when we have guests.
Jason (1:05:48)
My my mom was I think is kinda the same way when I was young. I used ask her tons of questions and she finally st could stopped answering the questions and she just would look at me and say, Well, Jason, what do you think? And and then I would shut up for a minute ’cause I would process it, try and figure it out on my own. But yeah, I can relate. All right.
amine nasraoui (1:06:03)
Yeah. Yeah,
that’s true. Even now in in my job, like sometime I’m walking next to one of my colleagues and then I tell him, You know Kyle about Egypt? And then he’s a you know what? I I’ve not read it. But this they they used to it, you know, so they know that
Jason (1:06:17)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:06:17)
I have a lot of stories, I have a lot of things to share. because
As I telling you, this village teach me that I need to share my knowledge. And since I’m sharing my knowledge, it’s getting bigger and bigger. And I remember when I was a kid, my cousin was married to a Polish lady from Poland. They used both of them, they used to live in Germany. so and and she used to come to visit us. And and then I start get that picture of a tourist, you know, and I need to show her this. And because I talk a lot, so
I show her I need to show her this. I she needs to take a picture here. And then that image of a tour guide and the dream of tour guide and showing people my my my background, my home country, it’s grow with me. And and then like I I started working in tourism industry until COVID nineteen, when destroyed the business. And all the big companies I used to deal with, they decided to shut down and no more business.
So then I say, you know what? Why I’m doing a great job? And those people they get the benefits, you know, so they get reputation. So I say, you know, I need to go to US and start my business. And many of my friends they say, you are crazy. You left a nice life, very comfortable job, and then you come here working as a waiter with Disney and doing this, like why? But yeah.
Jason (1:07:37)
Get it. Did
but so did you stay living in that I it was beer something. Beers is the Beer Missouri. Thank you. I
amine nasraoui (1:07:45)
Yeah, Burma’s week. Yeah, Burma’s week. Yeah, I know it’s it’s hard. Yeah.
Jason (1:07:50)
probably will not get that perfected by the end of this conversation. But anyway, did you continue like you grew up there, but I know you went to school. I mean, you’re you’re very well educated. I’m guessing you didn’t do
amine nasraoui (1:07:59)
Yeah, actually yeah.
Jason (1:08:01)
that in Beer Missouri, but maybe you did it nearby Casablanca. I don’t know. So tell us a little bit about that.
amine nasraoui (1:08:04)
Yeah.
No, actually when when I finished my high school I moved to Marrakesh because for me Marrakesh it it wasn’t like a city choose randomly. I had family there and and like all my family they used to go to Marrakesh University, they studied Marrakesh University, so we we have like a a long history with Marrakesh. And then I choose Marrakesh also because I wanna study tourism and
There is a major master degree in Marrakesh University, which is tourism and world heritage. by
Jason (1:08:39)
Okay, beef
this would be a good spot for me to ask, were your parents educated?
amine nasraoui (1:08:45)
Yes, my father, my father, he was a French language professor, so he he he teach me French
Jason (1:08:49)
Okay. I think you might imagine that.
amine nasraoui (1:08:51)
language, so that’s why I speak French also fluent.
Jason (1:08:54)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:08:55)
even he was really tough with me, but anyway he did. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because yeah. Because because
Jason (1:08:59)
Ooh. A a good interviewer would say he was tough with you. Tell me more. I don’t know if I want to put you on the spot. And
amine nasraoui (1:09:07)
he’s yeah, because he said he he used to tell me like I tell him why like
Every time you check my homework, like me, like specifically, he say, look, with you, I have two responsibilities. Responsibility of a student and a teacher, and responsibility of a father and a son. So he say, I need to double check, and not like the other students. So just a responsibility.
Jason (1:09:27)
Okay. Yeah, the other students
hopefully they’ve got someone else that’s gonna take up the other s take up the slack on the other the father side of the story.
amine nasraoui (1:09:34)
Yes. Yeah.
Jason (1:09:37)
Did you have siblings as well?
amine nasraoui (1:09:39)
Yes, so I’m the oldest. My sister she’s married in Casablanca, she lives in Casablanca,
Jason (1:09:43)
Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:09:44)
and my two brothers, Fatima and Ayub, this is their names. so Fatima she finished her college degree in geography and she decided to stay at home, like doing nothing. she’s more lazy. Yes. I mean I mean
Jason (1:10:00)
She might listen to this. I I mean,
you better say something nice ’cause I told you earlier we’re not editing this
amine nasraoui (1:10:08)
Actually,
actually she know I’m honest and and and she like
Jason (1:10:12)
okay.
amine nasraoui (1:10:13)
she don’t care. And and you my brother Yeah Yeah
Jason (1:10:14)
And she does nothing so she you know she’s not just sitting around listening to podcasts. So you don’t need to worry about that. Yeah, okay, go ahead.
amine nasraoui (1:10:20)
so my brother he lives in Dusseldorf in Germany and
Jason (1:10:24)
okay.
amine nasraoui (1:10:24)
he get he just got his degree as a nurse. he started working as a nurse in in a public hospital over there.
But he s he decided to finish his his studies. I think he wanna do anesthesia or something. This is what he was telling me last time. so I think he keeps studying now. we keep in contact. I wanna visit him last time, but they refuse his American visa. So he tells me, I’m not coming. So yeah,
Jason (1:10:50)
I know.
amine nasraoui (1:10:51)
I hope that he will come soon.
Jason (1:10:53)
D was your dad supportive well, your parents were I should say, was your family supportive when you said, Okay, I’m gonna go to Marrakesh, I wanna study heritage and tourism for six years or however long it takes you to get a master’s degree there. Did they think that that was a good good plan, or would he have rather had you go into something else?
amine nasraoui (1:11:13)
actually my father he’s s very supportive guy, specifically for studies. but he’s not very supportive when it’s come to the business and investment. So he’s you know he
Jason (1:11:24)
Wait
meaning f okay, meaning you tell me what that means. What do you mean by that?
amine nasraoui (1:11:31)
So yeah. Yeah I so
Jason (1:11:31)
He might be listening as well, okay.
amine nasraoui (1:11:34)
so I’m I’m really happy because he speaks French, so yeah.
Jason (1:11:37)
There you go. Nice. Let’s change the subject. tell me more
about that. Well, the reason I ask, in all fairness, is not all parents think that tourism is a great path for their kids. You know, sometimes it’s it’s difficult because when they were going up, tourism wasn’t really an option. It was like and even today, I mean, when someone says I want to be a tour guide, it not always met with the warmest, like, that’s a great idea. You know?
amine nasraoui (1:12:03)
That’s that’s true. Yeah, that’s
true. To be honest, my father he was against for me being in the business because he have no idea about the business. And he say, that’s that’s not a good business. It’s very fragile, there is a lot of competition, you know. And he say it’s better. Yeah, that’s that’s true, but but actually
Jason (1:12:18)
Which is a lot of that’s true. You gotta give credit for that.
amine nasraoui (1:12:24)
me and my father we are very close because of we are
Both of us educated. Usually when we are sitting together, we talk about a new book or something like new.
Jason (1:12:33)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:12:34)
We talk about politics, we talk about history. So this is our main subject. But actually, me and my father were totally different persons. So my father, he
Jason (1:12:43)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:12:43)
liked the comfort zone. So he likes something like comfort, created like good income, good retirement. Exactly. Exactly. So my father, he said.
Jason (1:12:50)
Consistency, stability, security. Yeah, I get that. Sounds like the difference between me
and my my mother. She’s very
amine nasraoui (1:12:57)
Yeah.
Jason (1:12:58)
disciplined, educ very educated, very yeah. And then she’s got her son the the the tourism podcaster now, which isn’t any
amine nasraoui (1:13:06)
Yeah.
Jason (1:13:06)
better than being a tour guide. She’s like, Podcast? What are you doing to make money? Go ahead.
amine nasraoui (1:13:09)
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it’s yeah. Like
you make videos, yeah, and yeah, that’s that’s
Jason (1:13:18)
Yeah.
amine nasraoui (1:13:20)
true. Many of the parents they don’t know that. So my father he say, you are good talking to people, it’s better to teach. And I say, It’s boring. He say, my job is boring. I say, No, I I I say for me it’s boring, you know. but also he’s like my father he don’t like the risk at all.
all so that’s why
Jason (1:13:37)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:13:37)
telling you when I tell him even when I was in Morocco and I started the first company he say it will never work I say okay thank you so much for like pushing me he say nah I’m telling you because like what people they will find you in the middle of billions I say yeah people they will find me because of my quality they will read about me so they will
Jason (1:13:53)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:13:56)
and then when I start like having booking and people booking with me and doing the trips the tours and he starts saying
How much money do you make?
Jason (1:14:05)
It my
amine nasraoui (1:14:05)
Yeah.
Jason (1:14:06)
gosh, it I can I can relate so much with what you’re sharing right now. Cause I’ve done I was to you I I guided, I had a balloon ride business. I you know, I’ve been through the same things and I remember like at one point when I said, I’ve decided I’m gonna be a fishing guide and I remember people in my life trying to without say any bad words, like, that’s a dumb idea. They
amine nasraoui (1:14:24)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jason (1:14:26)
might say a little bit more.
But then once you start to make money, you’re like, that’s kinda interesting. You wow, you are actually kinda you know, so yeah, good job, man. And I suspect a lot of people listening to this can relate to that as well. I think we’re all cut from the same sheet of cloth. You know, yeah.
amine nasraoui (1:14:40)
Yeah, that that’s true. Yeah. Actually
everyone in the tourism industry I think they have like the same story. Yeah.
Jason (1:14:49)
Or or diagnosis, depending on which what you want to say. It might be a little bit of ADHD or something.
amine nasraoui (1:14:51)
Yeah. But yeah. Yeah.
Jason (1:14:56)
I’m not speaking for anybody else, but ca yeah. Well part
amine nasraoui (1:14:59)
I’m thinking about myself.
Jason (1:15:02)
of part of why I say that is because you’re like, But dad, being a teacher for you is like that sounds boring. And I don’t know if you’re like me, but a lot of people in my life have said it’s called a job, it’s supposed to be boring. I’m like, No, you don’t understand.
I literally don’t think I can do it. It’s not that I’m don’t wish that I could do a boring job to create stability for myself and my family. It’s that I literally don’t think I can. I will get so frustrated. I’ll you know, and base part of that’s based on experience, because I’ve had a few jobs that were boring and it doesn’t they don’t last very long. So I don’t know. So good for you, man.
amine nasraoui (1:15:38)
Yeah. So
to be honest, that’s that’s the main point that I I I decided to take my bags and and come to United States because a lot of people they say, like why COVID finish, you back to work, you start making money, good money, and then you decided to come to United States. Actually, for me, coming to United States like two reasons. I I don’t like the comfort zone.
My life in Morocco was very comfort, to be honest. I I
Jason (1:16:07)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:16:08)
used to make money good. people they know me. I deal with companies, like I can I I was like free to work three hours, two hours a day. if I wanna take my vacation, I can go all over the world, like France, Spain. I used
Jason (1:16:22)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:16:22)
to travel a lot. And then I decided to come to United States. And people they don’t know that Morocco Vistas, it’s been the dream to be founded here in the United States because
Jason (1:16:32)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:16:33)
I wanna be close also to my customers. I wanna be close to my people.
Jason (1:16:36)
Yeah, I get that.
amine nasraoui (1:16:37)
because I I wanna help people also in the aeroplane, in flying, and that there is nothing nicer than your tour guide flying with you in the aeroplane to Morocco and flying back with you. So you will feel more like relaxed, you will feel more like you solve many problems.
it’s not like when you arrive to another country and then you need to look in for a sim card to put it in your phone, which is a new iPhone except only eSIM and you are in Uganda,
Jason (1:17:05)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:17:05)
they still have those old SIM cards and you need to talk the to do tour guide. It’s already headache. So I say I wanna save people from those those things. I I want because I never dreamed to be honest. lot of people when they founded the business, as as you say before, Jason.
people they see the money, they say, you know, traveling around the world, they see I never dream to be a businessman. I never dream to, you know, I never dream to have like a big business. I’m sure that one day this business is gonna be big, but I wanna be serving people, you know, I wanna be close to people because when you understand people, you guarantee that your business is gonna continue and people they will trust you. and and
To be honest, for me, I see this company in the next 10 years, 15 years open to another countries around Africa and why not around the world, and looking for someone like Amine Nasrawi to be there and to understand
Jason (1:18:02)
Yeah, yeah.
amine nasraoui (1:18:04)
what people they want. This is this is my dream. And I don’t want like a business can for sure any business in the tourism industry make millions, can make billions also as big companies like huge companies here in the United States.
But in the same time, that company should make a good message. For example, my company, I decided to make 10% of the income every year to dig wells for people in my village where I where I come from, because now we
Jason (1:18:32)
Okay. Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:18:35)
don’t have water, drinkable water. So I decided to make also an association named Morocco Vistas to so people they will see that the money they pay to this company and they visit.
The country which is suffering now from dry years. So we used to have in 2016 12 billion cube meters as a reserve of drinkable water. So now we have 2 billion cube meters almost. But
Jason (1:18:59)
For a while. Okay.
amine nasraoui (1:19:00)
with the with the last year, I think we go up to 8 billion cube meters. So we are suffering of the water. So I would like that this company not just selling tours and make it easy for people.
to go and discover the country, but in the same time to make it easy for the people in our villages who didn’t find water to drink and to grow food in those villages. So I have
Jason (1:19:25)
Very cool.
amine nasraoui (1:19:26)
I have a dream to be honest. I have a dream.
Jason (1:19:28)
No, I can
I can tell I pick picking up on the energy. I love that. it’s so much more exciting than I don’t know. For me and you, it’s more exciting than a lot of things other people do. I mean, and I’m sure they’re excited about what they do, but I I love that you’ve you’ve got the energy. we’ve we’ve discussed a bunch. We talked about wine, we talked about religion, the Moorish people, the Berber people, the Arabo. No.
Araboy? Arabia. Arabia.
amine nasraoui (1:19:54)
Rovia, rovia, yeah.
Jason (1:19:57)
geez. We talked about a bunch of stuff. And I know that we could keep going because you and I are both the types that could probably just have fascinating conversation for hours and hours and hours. I’m not sure everybody else would think it was fascinating, but I think we would. And but I’m curious, what do you wish I would have asked you or what do you feel like maybe we’re leaving out that you want our listeners to know before we wrap up?
amine nasraoui (1:20:17)
actually I’m I’m really happy about the questions that you ask me. it’s very important.
I would like I would like more as I tell you before, I would like you to take you to Morocco and doing the podcast there, which is you told me before that I
Jason (1:20:30)
Yeah, yeah. Me too.
amine nasraoui (1:20:32)
I’m so excited. So actually you asked me about a lot of subjects, but you didn’t ask me very important question about women in the country. You asked me about why
Jason (1:20:43)
I I learned
I learned a long time ago not to ask too many questions about women, but go ahead, I’m happy you brought it up.
amine nasraoui (1:20:48)
I actually I I I see you you did like this, so you are safe.
Jason (1:20:55)
visiting my mom right now so we have to be careful what we talk about. Just kidding. She can’t hear ya. But remember your sister might watch this, so be careful.
amine nasraoui (1:20:57)
that’s great. Yeah. So
yeah. Actually, you you asked me about because a lot of people also they ask about women in Morocco. you ask me about religion, wine, which is very important. women in Morocco, as I tell you, is very open country. we have women, they are in every jobs.
They are police, they are pilots, they are driving buses, they are driving trucks, they are driving their husbands. I’m just like kidding, like
Jason (1:21:29)
No, we’ve
we’ve we’ve and I won’t I won’t mention any names, but we’ve had a a tour operator come on that runs a women’s own tourism company in Morocco and yeah, a couple other fascinating conversations. I’m actually really happy you brought this subject up. So thank you. I wasn’t
amine nasraoui (1:21:44)
Yeah, so y
Jason (1:21:46)
I wasn’t trying to avoid it, I just missed it. So thank you for bringing it up.
amine nasraoui (1:21:48)
Yeah.
Yeah. So actually women it’s totally different than other countries, to be honest. a lot of people when they visit Morocco they discover that women they have very important place in the society. which is a lot of people like a lot of my friends, like I used to work with Tina, she’s a girl from New York. she does also private girls trip, only her friends and her colleagues from from the job.
And she sh the in the beginning when she wanna start this tour, she asked me about how people they look to women in the country. I’m scared coming to Arab and Mos Muslim
Jason (1:22:22)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:22:24)
country because they say, as I telling you, a lot of people they think that we are Arabs. So I tell her no, we are totally different. We are Africans, we have our identity, we have our culture. And she say, I’m scared that the look of the people, women going alone and you know, I say no, that’s
That’s totally wrong. and people they help they help women, they are happy to help her, and it’s safe also because people are not touchy like other countries, they leave women alone, they let them enjoy their trip and she likes it. She starts now doing, I think, six trips a year to Morocco, and she does other countries also, but she said that.
My trip to Morocco with women, it’s one of the nicest. we have also women tour guides. for people they ask for women to be escorting groups of women. We
Jason (1:23:13)
Mm-hmm.
amine nasraoui (1:23:14)
have good tour guides. I have a friend of mine. I would like to say hi from this podcast. I’m sure that she will see it. An and
Jason (1:23:20)
Yeah, you you can say any names you want. I try and avoid it, but go go ahead.
amine nasraoui (1:23:25)
so she’s a great tour guide. usually she leads those women trips, they love it.
and also
Jason (1:23:31)
D did you want to mention her by name?
amine nasraoui (1:23:34)
yeah, Hanan. So she she she know because I forget her last name. So what she will be seeing the yeah. And
Jason (1:23:39)
Okay. Not to put you on the spot, but yeah, okay. Very cool.
amine nasraoui (1:23:44)
so we have we did also we have some good tour guides and I would like to know to people, I want people also to know through this podcast that the first election we did in Morocco was in nineteen sixty-three for the first
constitutional and in that time women and men they vote. So we we are not like other countries. We say, only men vote. And after a couple years we say, no, women they need to vote. No. Men and women, both of them, they have the same rights. We have like equal opportunities between men and women. So we we don’t have this. And actually at the moment you see more women in the business in in different jobs than men.
Jason (1:24:25)
Mm-hmm. I’m I’m happy you brought that up because I also realized as I was listening to you that that is an issue. You know, women that are planning trips, especially if it’s a women’s group or just even couples, it’s like, you know, what’s that gonna be like? Because without mentioning any specific countries, there’s some places where I think they legitimately would feel a little bit intimidated by. I, you know, I get that. Men and women, we we grow up and we live in
kind of a different world or the same world but with different perspectives. And yeah, and ’cause that that is a thing, right? Is how am I gonna feel there? Are the men going to b you know, be nice or kind of just jerks? Because some in some places peop you know, guys are jerks. all right. I don’t know what else that’s probably you I think you covered really well. I don’t know why I’m trying to add to it. But yeah, that’s a that’s a great that’s a great question. Very cool. So
All right. Well, yeah, I’m on board. You got me. you got I’m I’m ready to go. I’m yeah, I’m let’s let’s go soon. You’re in Florida right now. I’ll meet you in Florida. We can fly from there over. Probably not in a private jet unless you’ve got different resources than I do. But you know, we
c yeah, let’s do it. It sounds sounds fascinating. I appreciate I’ve learned a lot from this conversation. I mean, thank
amine nasraoui (1:25:40)
Thank you so.
Jason (1:25:41)
you so much. And for everybody that’s listening, it’s hopefully it’s obvious, but it might not be.
that I’ve got a link right to Morocco Vistas in the show notes. So if you’ve heard what we’ve discussed and you feel like, man, that’s a something you need to go experience or just reach out to, you know, maybe a business partnership. I don’t know. I don’t know what that looks like. But Amin’s a pretty cool dude. And click the link, go check out his website, reach out when you do, maybe mention, hey Amine, I heard you, you know, on Jason’s Jason’s show talking about this and that.
just ’cause it makes me feel good. And then he’ll come back and say, Hey Jason, I I just got to share a trip with some people to Morocco. It was amazing and they never would have known about it if it wasn’t for the podcast. That’s the goal. So I mean, thank you so much. I appreciate you.
amine nasraoui (1:26:24)
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Jason (1:26:26)
just a lot of fun, fun conversation. Let’s do it again soon. All right. Thanks, I mean. Bye bye.
amine nasraoui (1:26:28)
Thank you so much, Jason. Thank you. It was a pleasure. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank
you. Bye bye. Thank you.
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