In Conversation with Seddik Aassim

A guide in Morocco for over 35 years, we caught up at this year's annual guide training workshop

By Audley Travel

March 7^th, 2019

In September, we held our annual training workshop for our guides in Morocco and spoke with some of them about what inspires them to do what they do. Among them was Seddik Aassim, who has been guiding in Morocco for over 35 years and is a local tour director and operations manager.

What inspired you to become a guide?

I grew up on the coast, in an area that’s popular with overseas visitors. When I was younger, I used to help visitors with directions and point them to different sites within the town. I really enjoyed showing them around, which made me think about becoming a guide.

What qualities do you think are most important for a guide to have?

To be patient and really listen to what guests want, which may not always be in what they say. Sometimes you have to read their mood and look for other clues so that you can adapt the tour to make it as memorable as possible.

What is your favorite thing to show clients traveling to Morocco?

All the different aspects of Moroccan culture. I really enjoy talking about everyday life here and giving visitors an insight into our cultural differences, as well as highlighting how many cultural values we share. Morocco is perhaps much more liberal than people expect and I enjoy helping people to really learn and understand this.

What do you love most about (guiding in) Morocco?

I love seeing the guests surprised by the beauty of the country and the historical and cultural richness on offer. There’s so much in Morocco to explore — historic souqs, Roman ruins, a beautiful coastline and, of course, the endless expanse of the desert.

I also love working with Audley to develop new experiences and find new ways to promote Morocco. I’ve learned not to simply accept things as they are, but instead to always look for new ideas and exceed the guests' expectations.

What motivates you professionally?

The feeling that I’m an important element in showing the best that Morocco has to offer and giving visitors happy memories of their time here to look back on.

Looking forward, is there anything new or different in Morocco that you’re particularly excited about sharing with visitors?

I am fascinated by the recent Palaeolithic discoveries at Jebel Irhoud. The ancient Homo sapien remains found here pre-date those found in East Africa and are changing how people understand the timeline of human evolution. I love that Morocco is now a key a part of that story.