Sustainability certifications are becoming increasingly popular in African tourism but questions are mounting about their effectiveness, cost and alignment with on-the-ground realities.
Charlie Darlington, Sustainability and Nature Positive Tourism Lead at international tour operator Scott Dunn, said the current certification landscape presents challenges for operators and properties.
“There are so many different certifications and data requirements that it becomes extremely difficult to report in a consolidated way, particularly when you’re working across international markets,” she said. “Hotels are often asked to report the same information in multiple formats, which creates unnecessary duplication and strain.”
Darlington said Scott Dunn has chosen to align its internal systems with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards, which she described as the most broadly recognised international benchmark.
“The GSTC provides a comprehensive ESG-aligned framework tailored for tourism. They also recognise around 30-40 localised certifications that meet their standard, which helps us consolidate reporting across our supply chain.”
Challenges on the ground
However, Darlington noted that many African businesses face challenges in meeting such standards. These include limited financial resources, gaps in training and a lack of dedicated sustainability personnel on site.
“One of the biggest challenges is resourcing,” said Darlington. “Many properties don’t have the capacity or expertise to handle compliance or data reporting – particularly those in remote or rural areas.”
Singita’s Sustainability Coordinator, Andrea Ferry, echoed the concern. “Most international certifications comprise broad sustainability principles that are applicable in Africa. But many miss the contextual nuances – especially where community partnerships are closely tied to biodiversity objectives,” she said.
Despite the challenges, both experts said certifications still serve a useful purpose.
“There is still value in third-party verification,” said Ferry. “Rigorous certifications, which require on-site audits, help give credibility to sustainability claims and push operators to improve. But not all certifications are created equal and the sector is noisy with competing labels.”
Singita recently joined The Long Run, a nature-based tourism network with members committed to sustainability principles across conservation, community, culture and commerce. “The peer learning network is one of the biggest advantages,” said Ferry. “Sustainability challenges require more sharing to solve. If the certification supports that, it adds real value.”
Traveller expectations
Both Ferry and Darlington acknowledged that most travellers now expect tourism operators to have embedded sustainability rather than actively seeking out eco-certifications when booking. “Guests assume businesses are operating responsibly,” said Ferry. “What they care about now is transparency and impact.”
Although clients may not use terms like “nature positive” explicitly, their travel motivations often reflect a desire for pristine environments, clean air and disconnection from over-touristed areas, Darlington added. “The expectation is that their travel spend is being used responsibly. That’s why we need evidence – not only to comply with future reporting obligations but also to celebrate and promote positive work happening on the ground,” she said.
Looking ahead, both industry professionals support initiatives that simplify and contextualise sustainability reporting in Africa.
Darlington highlighted a new platform, Hotel Resilient, which is being designed to streamline sustainability data collection for hotels. “The aim is to reduce duplication, standardise reporting and make it easier for tour operators to recognise and support properties doing the right thing,” she said.
She also cautioned against rushing into regional certification schemes before basic structures are in place. “In the long term, regional standards could be helpful. But first we need to focus on getting systems, toolkits and knowledge in place. What’s most important now is building local capacity, recognising regional stress points and encouraging collaboration.”
Ferry agreed that any African sustainability standard must offer something new. “If it’s just reinventing the wheel under a different name, it risks adding more confusion,” she said. “It needs to balance principles with flexibility – recognising social and environmental impact – without becoming overly prescriptive.”
