For African tourism, the future means 'profits with principles'

Responsible tourism is the future for Africa, as travelers increasingly want authentic, genuine and responsible holidays. This was the key focus at the World Travel Market Africa Responsible Tourism Conference (WTM Africa) in Cape Town, South Africa, this month.

During WTM Africa, heroes of responsible tourism in Africa were honored at the 2015 African Responsible Tourism Awards Ceremony. Among the winners were Chumbe Island in Zanzibar, Coffee Beans Routes in South Africa and Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana. The overall winner of the awards was Gansbaai Tourism in South Africa.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Heidi van der Watt, managing director of Better Tourism Africa, said the winners of the awards all have a vision that extends beyond the commercial, linking business success with the well-being of local communities and the longevity of their environments. 

“They want to make profits with principles, communicate balance sheets alongside beliefs and won’t undermine passion in the pursuit of professionalism,” she said. “They are the future of tourism in Africa." 

But, although industry players strongly believe that responsible tourism is the future for Africa, inbound tour operators to Africa report that there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to educating the public on responsible tourism.

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