How a Surf Town Vision Became a UN-Recognized Travel Tech Platform
Morocco’s Atlantic coastline has always had a rhythm of its own. From Taghazout’s rolling breaks to Dakhla’s wind-carved lagoons, the country’s coastal identity is the unmistakable experience. Mouja exists because someone who grew up inside that rhythm decided it deserved better infrastructure.
Founded by Anas Zaki, a digital transformation expert from Taghazout, Mouja is productizing Morocco’s surf and coastal culture into a modern, intelligent discovery and booking platform. It brings together trips, lessons, stays, local products, and blue-tourism experiences into a single ecosystem designed for travelers and coastal communities alike.
In January 2025, Mouja placed fourth in UN Tourism’s National Tourism Startup Competition, followed by receiving the UN Tourism Innovation Award for Sustainable Maritime Tourism – a powerful validation from policymakers and global tourism leaders that Morocco’s blue economy can scale with technology, inclusion, and credibility.
Founder Story: From Taghazout to the World
Anas Zaki did not approach Mouja as an outsider spotting a market gap. He lived the problem.
Growing up in Taghazout, Morocco’s most iconic surf town, Anas watched international travelers arrive in waves, often disconnected from the local ecosystem that sustained the experience they came for. Surf instructors struggled with visibility. Guesthouses relied on fragmented bookings. Artisans sold offline to passing foot traffic. Travelers stitched together their trips across WhatsApp chats, Instagram DMs, and global OTAs that rarely understood the nuances of coastal Morocco.
With a background in digital marketing and transformation, Anas recognized a pattern:
Morocco’s coast was rich in experience but poor in digital coordination.
Mouja was born as a response to organize touraism intelligently, ensuring that value flows back to coastal communities while travelers enjoy a seamless, authentic experience.
“This award is a milestone for Moroccan innovation in tourism. We are committed to making Morocco a leading destination for connected maritime tourism while ensuring economic and ecological impact.”
— Anas Zaki, Founder, Mouja
What Mouja Is Building
At its core, Mouja is Morocco’s first digital platform dedicated to blue tourism, a category encompassing surf travel, maritime activities, coastal stays, and community-led experiences.
An All-in-One Coastal Discovery Layer
Mouja combines multiple travel functions into a single intelligent interface:
- AI-powered trip planning
Recommends surf spots, activities, and itineraries based on weather conditions, user preferences, and timing. - Real-time surf forecasts
A critical differentiator for surf travelers who need precision, not generic travel advice. - Integrated booking system
Seamless access to accommodations, surf lessons, tours, and maritime excursions. - Local-first digital marketplace
Enables artisans, cooperatives, and creatives to sell products directly to travelers. - Smart travel tips
Contextual insights that help visitors experience the coast responsibly and authentically.
This is a digital infrastructure designed from inside the culture.
Who Mouja Is Built For
Mouja serves a deliberately broad but connected ecosystem:
- Surf travelers searching for the best waves, stays, and instructors
- International visitors seeking real, non-manufactured experiences
- Local tourists discovering new coastal destinations
- Surf camps, guesthouses, and eco-lodges needing visibility and bookings
- Activity providers offering surf, tours, and experiences
- Local artisans and cooperatives selling coastal crafts and products
- Eco-conscious travelers who care about nature and community impact
By design, Mouja creates value by connecting all the groups in that sector intelligently.
Why Mouja Is Different
Most travel platforms optimize for scale. Mouja optimizes for context.
What Sets Mouja Apart
- Real-time surf data + booking, not static listings
- AI-driven personalization, not one-size-fits-all itineraries
- Local commerce integration, not tourism extraction
- Community access, not just traveler convenience
This hybrid of travel tech + community commerce + blue-economy focus positions Mouja in a category of its own within Morocco’s tourism stack.
Recognition and Global Validation
Mouja’s credibility has been reinforced by high-signal recognition:
- UN Tourism Innovation Award for Sustainable Maritime Tourism
Presented by Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, in Marrakech. - Ceremony attended by:
- Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism
- Karim Zidane, Minister Delegate for Investment
- Senior public and private tourism stakeholders
- Fourth place at UN Tourism’s National Tourism Startup Competition (Jan 2025)
These endorsements place Mouja firmly within Morocco’s official tourism innovation roadmap.
Economic Inclusion as a Product Feature
Beyond technology, Mouja functions as a distribution unlock for coastal communities.
By giving cooperatives, instructors, and small operators access to:
- Branding tools
- E-commerce functionality
- International visibility
Mouja aligns directly with Morocco’s push for equitable tourism growth, where local stakeholders participate meaningfully in value creation beyond mere service delivery.
What Comes Next for Mouja
Following international recognition, Mouja’s roadmap includes:
- Scaling partnerships with coastal destinations and tourism boards
- Expanding local operator onboarding
- Attracting investment to accelerate platform development
- Deepening AI capabilities for predictive trip planning
- Supporting broader adoption of responsible maritime tourism practices
As Morocco prepares for AFCON 2025 and the 2030 World Cup, coastal tourism demand is set to rise. Mouja is positioning itself to shape how that growth happens.
Why Mouja Matters
Mouja is not simply another booking platform. It represents a shift in how emerging travel destinations can:
- Own their narrative
- Digitize cultural assets responsibly
- Export tourism innovation, beyond hospitality
If Morocco’s next chapter in tourism is smarter, more inclusive, and digitally connected, Mouja will be part of the infrastructure that makes it possible.
