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On 13 June 2002, the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa certification programme was officially launched in South Africa, marking the first time in the history of the fair trade movement that a trademark or label for the tourism sector had been created. FTTSA awards the use of special label to qualifying businesses as a way of signifying their commitment to Fair Trade criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing, fair operations, equitable distribution of benefits and respect for human rights, culture and environment.
By electing to stay at or use the services of an FTTSA-certified establishment, tourists are assured that their travel benefits local communities and economies, and that the business is operated ethically and in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This itinerary uses Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA) accredited companies where possible. The FTTSA accreditation is based on fair share, democracy, respect, reliability, transparency and sustainability and is the first of its kind in tourism in the world.
Amakhala Game Reserve Woodbury Lodge (FTTSA accredited) is a unique conservation initiative that has allowed the re-introduction of indigenous flora & fauna into an area that was previously used to ranch sheep and cattle, and hence making a contribution to the conservation of South Africa’s natural heritage.
Stormsriver adventures (FTTSA accredited) is more than just an adventure company it strives to enrich the surrounding environment and community. The vast majority of their 80 employees are from surrounding communities and own 80% equity in the business. Their community involvements is far reaching and includes amongst others: environmental education, food provision and clothing programmes in schools, craft development projects, animal welfare education programmes, home based care groups and a recycling initiative.
Ocean Blue Adventure (FTTSA accredited) marine eco-tours are based on non-consumptive and sustainable utilisation of marine resources. They were awarded the WWF Green Trust award in 2001 for their work on eco-tourism and sustainable tourism in Plettenberg Bay. They donate a proportion of their income to the Ocean Research & Conservation Africa Foundation. Both Ocean Blue and Dyer Island Cruises have also been awarded an educational licence to approach to within 50 m of whales and record information for scientific purposes.
For all of our tours we provide customers with an itinerary specific responsible travel guide aprox 4 weeks before they depart. This includes a generic travellers code of conduct which emphasises basic responsible travel advice – e.g. reduction of waste and consumption of natural resources, purchase local produce where possible etc. Our holidays are specifically designed to bring guests into direct contact with locals from a range of different tribes and cultures across Africa. We also therefore provide destination specific guidance including advice on local customs and some key phrases in certain languages (e.g. Swahili). We also offer guidance on how to barter responsibly for local curios and what curios should be avoided (e.g. certain wildlife artefacts such as coral, turtle shells etc.). As all of our guides and groundhandlers are local we also give guidance on what a fair and reasonable level of tipping would be at the end of the holiday.
We support the work of Tourism Concern both in distributing their advice to customers and as an active participant in the Ethical Tour Operators Group. Our managing director sits on this group and is a regular attendee of meetings contributing to work towards developing industry wide fair trade standards. We also distribute materials to customers and make periodic donations for the following charities: Tree Aid; International Fund for Wildlife and Survival International Trust. In Southern Africa we support the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative and forward their guidance to all customers on which seafood is sustainable when offered a choice at restaurants.
Whilst volunteering on a coral reef in Tanzania, the founder of this company fell in love with Africa. Using her academic background in environmental science, she decided to do something practical and help the continent develop a sustainable tourism portfolio. She developed holidays which combine the obvious itinerary highlights with more unusual experiences such as home stays and township visits. She believes that there are great benefits to travel: it is a chance to widen your horizons, learn about other people and see a bit more of the world than just that little place you call home.
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We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
