A collective of African tourism stakeholders launched the Sustainability Profile initiative at WTM Africa in Cape Town this week – a free, standardised solution that aims to simplify how sustainability information is captured, shared and accessed across the travel industry.
Developed in collaboration with sustainability experts, industry organisations and technology partners, the Sustainability Profile addresses the need for transparent and consistent reporting across the entire travel supply chain.
As global regulatory pressure intensifies, particularly from key European source markets, tourism businesses such as DMCs, tour operators and travel agents are now required to report on the practices of every supplier they work with. This has resulted in a fragmented approach to gathering information where suppliers are asked to complete multiple, often repetitive questionnaires, creating significant administrative strain across the industry.
Hosted on the Wetu platform, the Sustainability Profile provides a centralised, standardised framework where suppliers can complete a single form and share their information with all trade partners. The questionnaire takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete, follows a straightforward yes/no format and does not require supporting documentation at this stage, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
“It is genuinely refreshing to see something designed with real industry pain points in mind. Suppliers are overwhelmed, buyers are demanding more and everyone is stuck in duplicate systems. This brings simplicity, consistency and a much-needed sense of direction,” said Melissa Foley, Founding Director of All About Africa Sustainability Consulting and the Impact Lead for Community and Conservation at Africa’s Eden.
The Sustainability Profile is designed to work alongside existing verified certification schemes, providing an accessible starting point for businesses at different stages of their sustainability journey, while supporting progression towards formal certification over time.
“In collaboration with industry experts, the self-audit tool makes sense of all the noise and, by centralising access for the trade, eliminates duplication for the supplier and allows us, the DMC, an opportunity to communicate credible information to our overseas clients. We are thrilled with this initiative – not because it lessens the onerous administrative burden of collecting and maintaining this information but because it’s the right thing to do for the long-term sustainability of our industry and for our planet,” said Faith Johnson, CEO of New Frontiers Tours.
“What makes this initiative so meaningful is that it solves a shared challenge at an industry level. By standardising and centralising sustainability data, we make it significantly easier for businesses to meet evolving requirements while reducing the administrative burden across the entire supply chain. Ultimately, this gives global buyers the confidence to sell Africa responsibly,” said Paul de Waal, Founder of Wetu.
Visit the Sustainability Profile landing page to learn how to get started.
