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What is Responsible Tourism?

WildWeb, Responsible Tourism, African Tourism, Cottars 1920s Safaris

Responsible tourism is all about travelling with respect for the people, environment and wildlife that call your holiday destination, home.

Travel and tourism in Africa accounts for over 8% (and counting) of the continent’s GDP, which means billions of US dollars in revenue for countries that have world-renowned safari destinations and other popular tourism hotspots. Like its counterparts, sustainable tourism and ecotourism, responsible tourism is about travelling mindfully whilst still enjoying the ride. The way tourism initiatives are implemented and the way each tourist decides to travel can have have a negative or positive impact on that country’s local people, wildlife and natural environment.

WildWeb, Responsible Tourism, African Tourism, Cottars 1920s Safaris
Some of the Masai community from the Maasai Mara © Partime Travellers / Cottar’s 1920’s Safaris

Travelling responsibly means respecting and conserving local cultures and ways of life. Treating people and their places is simply the right thing to do! It doesn’t take any effort and instead can open up opportunities for more interactive and genuine travel.

WildWeb, Responsible Tourism, African Tourism, Cottars 1920s Safaris
Masai woman creating traditional beaded jewelry © Partime Travellers / Cottar’s 1920’s Safaris

Travelling responsibly means supporting communities in the touristic development of their area. Building greater visibility around local economic activities among travellers can lead to much stronger local economies, sustainable livelihoods and a better quality of life for local people.

WildWeb, Responsible Tourism, African Tourism, Cottars 1920s Safaris
Elephant sighting in the Maasai Mara National Reserve © Partime Travellers / Cottar’s 1920’s Safaris

Travelling responsibly means minimising the environmental impact of tourism and tourists. Each country’s tourism sector and travellers visiting it have a part to play in conserving and protecting the natural environment as well as animal and bird life that live there.  

This year, our digital marketing client, Cottar’s 1920’s Safaris in Kenya’s magnificent Maasai Mara celebrates its 100th Anniversary. As a well-established leader in the African safari industry, Cottars has worked hard to build strong relationships and collaborative partnerships with the local Maasai community to establish the Cottar Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Olderkesi Community Wildlife Conservancy pilot project.

They remain a Global Ecosphere Retreat Member as they have once again maintained their Gold Eco-rating Certification after a January site assessment conducted by Ecotourism Kenya and the Eco-rating Technical Committee.

Well done for leading the charge in responsible tourism in Kenya, Cottars!

Feature image taken by Partime Travellers at Cottar’s 1920’s Safaris

 

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