10 - 12 April 2024

WTM Responsible Tourism Awards Africa

#responsibletourismafrica

Showcasing Best Practice in the Industry

A highlight on the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism calendar, these awards champion the very best work in Responsible Tourism on the African continent. Join us as we celebrate those - sustainability champions, changemakers, movers and shakers - who continue to make a positive impact and lead by example.

The awards aim to “discover, recognise and promote good practice”. These prestigious awards recognise businesses and destinations that make responsible tourism their focus to ensure they are discovered and celebrated, showing how they are cultivating change and pioneering creative projects that revolve around the wellbeing and sustainability of tourism and looking after the people and the landscapes that allow the industry to thrive.

Entries are now closed.

2023 Finalists

  • Weeva
  • Lemala Camps & Lodges
  • Wildlife ACT
  • Cape Vulture Lodge
  • Ngwenya Glass
  • uThando South Africa
  • Artisans Co Ltd
  • Liveable
  • BirdLife South Africa
  • Happy Soul Adventures
  • Tourism Authority Mauritius

Awards ceremony details

DATE: Tuesday, 4 April 2023

TIME: 14h00 – 17h00

VENUE: Spotlight Theatre at WTM Africa


It is with great concern and regret that the incorrect winner for the category: Addressing Climate Change of the Responsible Tourism Awards was contacted by Reed personnel. Thus creating confusion and miscommunication among all parties concerned. We appreciate the gracious efforts by the parties in resolving the matter amicably.

All nominees within the category were great contenders and the decision was difficult for the judges to decide. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by all parties. We have instilled appropriate measures to ensure that this will not happen again in the future.

2023 Winners

1. Best for removing plastic waste from the environment

Plastic waste is one of the major environmental crises impacting the health of our planet. The tourism industry generates waste through single-use plastics. The sector also suffers from plastic waste generated by others which pollutes water courses and beaches and adds to littering in destinations. Destinations and tourism businesses can address plastic waste by banning single-use plastics, removing plastic from public spaces and nature, and disposing of it safely. Initiatives that upcycle waste plastic and sequester it, generating sufficient revenue to pay for waste plastic to be collected, can take the plastic waste out of our environment at scale. Our oceans require urgent action at scale. The judges are looking for examples where a tourism business or destination has developed ways of removing plastic waste.

GOLD: Lemala Camps & Lodges


2. Best for Meaningful Connections

Some forms of tourism build relationships between visitors and communities through the experiences they provide, treating visitors as "temporary residents"; they generate repeat 'guests' who will return many times, some yearly. Storytelling plays a role in creating meaningful connections. These benefit both the host and the guest. Where the local community is empowered in shaping the tourism offer, they will, as hosts, encounter tourists who value their place and what it offers. The guests have a great holiday, recommend the place to their friends and relatives and are likely to return.

GOLD: uThando South Africa

SILVER: Happy Soul Adventures


3. Best for Local Sourcing, Craft and Food

Sense of place contributes to the tourist experience. Local tastes of food and beverages, soft furnishings, and art and craft souvenirs enrich the visitor experience and the local community by creating additional livelihood opportunities. These are complementary products that grow the local tourism economy. The livelihood benefits of tourism for local communities are greater when tourism businesses, tour operators, guides, accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes, bars and tourism authorities and local governments encourage the development of local craft and food production for visitors.

GOLD: Ngwenya Glass & Tourism Authority Mauritius

SILVER: Artisans Co Ltd


4. Addressing Climate Change

Each year the impact of climate change becomes more evident and, for many, more extreme. Drought, floods, wildfires, and extreme weather conditions cause devastation for communities and businesses in destinations on all continents. The judges are looking for examples of initiatives which

  • reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport, accommodation, attractions and tourism services in destinations, and
  • Increase the resilience of tourism businesses and destinations in the face of climate change.

The Responsible Tourism Awards aspire to recognise businesses and destinations addressing climate change and to encourage others to adapt and adopt similar initiatives. We must increase our resilience to live with climate change and reduce emissions to avoid making it worse for our children.

GOLD: Tourism Authority Mauritius & Weeva


5. Best for Diversity and Inclusion

Tourism relies on diversity. We travel to experience other peoples' places, climates, built heritage, lived culture and the world's diverse nature. But how diverse and inclusive is our industry?

The judges are looking for examples of inclusive tourism, in employment and in the experiences offered to tourists. The judges are seeking to recognise

  • tourism businesses that avoid gender, ethnic and LGBTQ+ discrimination and which employ the differently abled; and
  • businesses and destinations which have created safe and meaningful visitor experiences for women, the differently abled, LGBTQ+  and travellers from the diaspora, making accessible to all our cultural diversity.
  •  

GOLD: BirdLife South Africa

SILVER: Liveable


6. Best for Nature-Positive Tourism

Wildlife and the natural environment are important motivations for travel. Nature is essential to our industry, those who transport travellers to wildlife destinations, those who provide accommodation, and the tour operators and guides who market it and make it accessible. The judges are seeking examples of tourism businesses and destinations that reduce negative impacts and positively impact the maintenance of the natural environment and biodiversity.

GOLD: Wildlife ACT

SILVER: BirdLife South Africa

One To Watch: Cape Vulture Lodge

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