“I dream of Africa at peace with itself…I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.” - Nelson Mandela
Sustainable tourism lies at the very heart of Uluntu Africa’s operations and underpins the philosophy of the company. We like to refer to sustainable tourism rather than responsible travel or eco-tourism, as we believe tourism needs to be holistic, embracing a triple bottom line, a balance of sound economic, environmental and social best practice. By adopting this triple bottom line, we strive to create holidays that give your ethically conscious clients quality travel experiences that are both environmentally & socially responsible and benefit local communities.
Responsible or ethical travelers play a massive role in protecting South Africa’s natural & cultural heritage. These travelers support tour operators and lodges that operate in a responsible manner, and they have a real concern for the impact of their holiday on the environment and surrounding communities. It is our aim and responsibility to provide a service to the ethical travel community on an ongoing basis, by connecting them with our local community of likeminded service providers.
Uluntu Africa has received Fair Trade in Tourism (FTT) certification for five travel packages, facilitated by South African NGO Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA). Uluntu Africa is now amongst one of the first South African based tour operators receiving the FTT stamp of approval for travel packages, which combines main and off the beaten track destinations like Cape Town, Garden Route, Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, Limpopo and rural Drakensberg.
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) has facilitated Fair Trade certification of tourism businesses (accommodation, activities and attractions) in South Africa for close to 10 years. 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.
Since 2010, FTTSA also facilitates certification of packaged travel to South Africa. Buying a Fair Trade Tourism package guarantees that the holiday benefits workers and owners of tourism establishments by requiring long-term trading relationships, full prepayment and binding cancellation agreements. An additional amount (called a premium) will be channelled directly into a central fund and used for development projects across South Africa. Fair Trade Tourism also monitors that price levels and contractual agreements are fair and that they are being followed, ensuring a fair deal especially for small and emerging tourism businesses.
Through this initiative we hope to raise awareness amongst clients and other tour operators about the concept and impact of fair and responsible travel, and hope to inspire visitors to incorporate some of these elements into their holidays. They have therefore created short and medium stay packages that can easily be combined with almost any South African itinerary.
The FTT initiative has been endorsed by South African Tourism as well as Fairtrade International (FLO).
Please contact us for more information about our FTT certified packages.
Download our Fair Trade Travel Brochure or Sustainable Tourism Policy below or read more about our Environmental, Economic & Social commitment below.
Download - Sustainable Tourism Policy (540kb)
Download - Fair Trade Travel Brochure (1.6mb)
In the Office ~ REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE ~
- Avoiding wastage of resources for example by running a ‘paperless’ office, making optimal use of daylight & favouring use of internet & email as means of communication.
- Having an active recycling policy - all office waste is recycled.
- Using recycled paper, where possible, for all promotional, administrative and communication purposes.
- Made a conscious choice not to produce ‘glossy’ travel brochures minimising paper & energy use.
- Minimising our carbon footprint by limiting staff air & road travel and wherever possible using local suppliers for all office supplies.
On our Tours ~ LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS - TAKE ONLY MEMORIES ~
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All our itineraries are carbon neutral - we off set all CO2 from local land & air travel by supporting an Urban Greening project through Food & Trees for Africa
- Actively favouring products that are built and/or run in environmentally sustainable ways, using sustainable building materials, renewable energy, have active waste recycling & water management policies, and buy local produce.
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Actively favouring products and services who make a substantial effort to reduce energy use, use environmentally friendly cleaning products & toiletries, recycle actively (even have wormfarms), have simple water recycling & grey water schemes.
- Providing guests with information and advice about how they can minimise their environmental impact and reduce consumption of scarce resources during their holiday.
- Ensuring that operators will never disturb, damage or interfere with the flora and fauna for the gratification of its guests. We avoid ecologically sensitive areas and destinations that suffer from ‘over-tourism’.
- Keeping groups sizes small to minimise potential negative impacts on sensitive ecosystems.
- Supporting and encouraging local, regional and national conservation efforts.
~ THINK LOCAL - BUY LOCAL ~
- Favouring suppliers who provide direct economic benefits to local communities through (skills) training & employment of previously disadvantaged people, buying their supplies locally, using local people for maintenance & refurbishment work, and/or investing in local community projects.
- Using products and services that are the most sustainable option available, including Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa accredited products, even if this means paying a reasonable premium.
- Taking affirmative action and favouring products and services run by previously disadvantaged people without compromising on quality.
- Using locally owned, owner managed products and services, avoiding where possible foreign-owned hotel chains, ensuring that holiday monies stay within the host country and benefit their economy.
- Supporting local tourism initiatives, such as township tours and community tourism networks.
- Encouraging our customers to purchase locally manufactured products rather than imported alternatives, and buy gifts and crafts from local shops and markets.
~ TRAVEL IN THE SPIRIT OF UBUNTU ~
- Always treating people with respect, observing their cultural traditions and avoiding patronising attitudes and encouraging our guests to do likewise. Hence we provide information about cultural and religious traditions & values and some basics in the local language.
- Encouraging interaction with local people and ensure a maximum level of local involvement in our trips through e.g. using local guides who can help guests to understand local customs & traditions.
- Supporting community empowerment projects either through our suppliers, or directly. Uluntu Africa is currently involved in the Dalukhanyo Pre-School project in Langa, Cape Town. We also provide support to Dalukhanyo by working closely with the LTPT Trust in the UK to assist with the co-ordination of their ongoing support projects in Cape Town.
- Condemning all forms of child exploitation, especially abuse from a developing global sex tourist industry.
- Supporting traditional lifestyles by providing a regular income from jobs that compliment a traditional way of life, enabling indigenous peoples to maintain their chosen existence.
- Where group trips are involved, keeping all group sizes small to prevent our trips becoming too intrusive on local communities.