Sustainability

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) states "Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry. It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative and it aims to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive ones."

At ATTA we have developed a Charter for Sustainable Tourism because we believe that sustainable tourism is vital to the survival of tourism in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, and this is why we ask all our members to follow the below as a starting guildeline.

Why an ATTA® Charter for Sustainable Tourism?

As part of our deepening commitment to increasing sustainable tourism practises across Africa, the ATTA® Charter for Sustainable Tourism aims to support our membership by providing a guiding framework for good sustainable practices within tourism businesses and organisations.

Sustainability challenges are becoming more apparent and urgent, notably in Africa, especially in relation to climate change, pressure on resources, communities and threats to endangered species.

The African tourism product is highly dependent on the conservation of wildlife and the preservation of a rich cultural identity, accessed through authentic visitor experiences.

Visitors are also expressing increasing concern about sustainability issues in the destinations they are choosing and the services they are purchasing. Those organisations and businesses that demonstrate a concern for the wellbeing of local people, wildlife and the environment reflect a sense of responsibility which carries credibility and value.

Engaging in sustainability supports a quality, caring and authentic brand position.

There is also an increasing interest in sustainability issues amongst younger employees in the travel sector with a desire for more action, which is important for staff morale, retention and recruitment.

The aims of the Charter

The ATTA® Charter for Sustainable Tourism identifies 10 principles as a basis for policies and actions that address the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism.

The ATTA® Charter also recognises and supports the internationally agreed global framework for sustainable tourism provided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

By establishing an ATTA® Charter for Sustainable Tourism our aim is to:

Ensure that all ATTA® members are aware of a set of key sustainability challenges for tourism in Africa that should be addressed by tourism businesses.
Offer our members best practise principles, a template and recognised framework to work from and build off.
Encourage ATTA® members to increase the range and impact of their actions to enhance the sustainability of their operations, leading to continuous improvement
Identify, celebrate and disseminate good practice across the membership so we can continue to learn from one another as a community and share knowledge and experience.
Develop a set of tools to support ATTA® members in pursuing the aims of the Charter.
Ensure the brand image of ATTA® as an organisation is equated with sustainable as well as high quality visitor experiences of Africa

Sustainability Charter

The African Travel and Tourism Association, as the leading tourism trade body for Africa, recognises the significant responsibility and opportunity to develop and manage tourism in ways which conserve and enhance the wellbeing of Africa’s environments, cultures and local communities, appreciating that these are the essential components of successful, sustainable tourism.

ATTA® recognises tourism’s relevance to all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which have inspired this Charter. It also endorses the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and recognises the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria as providing the internationally agreed standard for sustainable tourism.

Reflecting on the particular context and needs of tourism in Africa, ATTA® commits to the following 10 principles and encourages its members to endorse them and put them into practice:

Enhancing local prosperity: To increase the proportion of tourism spending that is retained locally, by employing local people, encouraging local purchasing and, where possible, sourcing goods and services from local businesses.
Supporting communities: To identify and pursue opportunities to support essential services in local communities, including health, sanitation, education and infrastructural projects.
Valuing staff: To recognise the rights of employees, providing them with a safe and secure working environment and at least a living wage, offering skills training and potential for advancement and avoiding all forms of discrimination and exploitation.
Involving visitors: To enhance visitors’ experience and sense of engagement through providing them with accurate information about local environments, cultures and sustainability issues and encouraging and facilitating their involvement and support.
Celebrating local cultures: To respect local and indigenous rights, cultures and traditions and contribute to their preservation and enrichment, reflecting and celebrating them sensitively in tourism products and activities and avoiding inappropriate commodification.
Reducing emissions: To identify and measure greenhouse gas emissions relating to tourism operations and take action to reduce them through minimizing energy consumption, favouring renewable energy sources, and promoting the use of resource efficient transport options.
Managing water: To identify the degree and nature of water risk in local destinations, ensure responsible water use and avoid adverse impacts on local communities and ecosystems from the level and pattern of water consumption and the treatment of wastewater.
Conserving wildlife: To raise awareness of threats to Africa’s wildlife and support for its conservation, in general and as a source of livelihood through tourism, and to ensure that wildlife interactions are responsibly managed and all wildlife-related regulations are fully met.
Minimizing waste: To minimise the production of waste from tourism operations and activities, following programmes to reduce, reuse and recycle, with special attention to reducing food waste and avoiding single-use plastics, and ensure appropriate waste disposal.
Working together: To work with other organizations and businesses on the promotion, development and management of sustainable tourism in Africa, sharing knowledge and engaging in collaborative projects that benefit the economy, communities and the environment.

The above 10 principles draw upon, but are not equivalent to, the full set of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. Businesses seeking to be identified as pursuing sustainable tourism should apply for certification from a scheme that is GSTC-Accredited or that uses a GSTC-Recognized standard.