FEDHASA and Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) have formalised a partnership aimed at advancing responsible tourism practices across Southern Africa’s hospitality sector.
The agreement includes collaboration in responsible tourism advocacy, educational opportunities, networking, capacity building, market access, policy, research and industry events. The partners will also meet quarterly to share updates, review progress and identify new opportunities.
The partnership will run for an initial 36-month period and will be reviewed annually.
According to the statement, the partnership comes as international demand for certified sustainable tourism products grows and new European Union regulations increase scrutiny of sustainability claims.
“Responsible tourism, once a niche positioning strategy, is now the direction the global market is moving in and South African hospitality needs to move with it,” said Jaya Naidoo, FEDHASA KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape GM. “Our partnership with FTT gives our members a direct connection to one of Africa’s most credible and established responsible tourism certification frameworks.”
