In just less than a decade, Fair Trade Tourism has expanded its product reach beyond South Africa to a further seven African countries through mutual recognition agreement, while growing its network of approved tour operators signalling, perhaps, that responsible tourism is gain traction among trade and traveller alike.
Back in 2010, Fair Trade Tourism partnered with three Swiss tour operators to develop Fair Trade holiday packages - Dreamtime Travel, Kuoni Travel and Reise Service Imagine.
The concept was to design Fair Trade-certified packages taking travellers to South African tourism product that was Fair Trade Tourism certified. A Fair Trade Holiday is an itinerary that includes at least 50% of its bed nights in FTT-certified accommodation.
Today, there are 52 operators approved to sell develop Fair Trade holiday packages, that includes 29 South African operators, and 14 European operators. Just recently, Tourvest joined the list of 29 South African operators. Other names on the list include XO Africa, Private Safaris, Pulse Africa, Jenman African Safaris and Abang Africa.
Tour operators are no longer certified by FTT but instead sign a contract committing to practise responsible tourism.
The countries in FTT’s portfolio of certified product include South Africa, Madagascar and Mozambique, while its portfolio of product certified by mutually recognised operators includes Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles.
Jane Edge, MD FTT, says that in the Eurozone in particular, tourism associations and operators are increasingly demanding certification to prove the sustainability standards of members and products. For example, Sabre and Tui are requiring products they use to be certified by a GSTC-recognised standard within the next two years, while ANVR (The Netherlands travel association), has made sustainability management systems compulsory for all members.
The Accelerating Sustainable Tourism Initiative (supported by the Dutch Government and Association of British Travel Agents) seeks to link European market access to certification of establishments in developing world countries, while Travelife, funded by the European Union, was set up to certify tour operators and accommodation providers around sustainability measures.
One of the most longstanding operators approved by FTT is Abang Africa. GM, Henko Wentholt, says his company was founded specifically to give back to communities, so getting FTT approved was a natural fit.
Commenting on Tourvest’s move to become FTT approved, Your Africa Sales and Marketing Director, Suzanne Banadie, said: “Fair Trade Tourism is ideally aligned to Tourvest Destination Management’s commitment to similar and like-minded campaigns and organisations.”
Over the years Wentholt has seen a growing demand for sustainable tourism, even if only among a niche market of travellers from the US and Europe. Benadie points out that consumers from mature markets, like the US and Europe, are very aware of responsible tourism principles and that it’s becoming a requirement for certain market segments. More of Tourvest’s clients are also requiring responsible tourism products. “We feel reassured that we have partnered with the correct international trade partners.”
According to Wentholt, the demand for responsible tourism products has grown in part because local operators have started actively marketing these products. Benadie says more and more consumers and travellers want to be assured that they are able to enjoy “guilt free” holidays, and that their contributions to the environment, wildlife and communities are authentic and beneficial.
