Responsible Tourism Policy & Mission Statement
Abang Africa Travel’s visions
“To be a responsible tour operator that wants to empower local communities and nature projects through sustainable tourism, either direct and/or through partnerships. So that the people of South Africa, it’s nature and the visitors all benefit as much as possible from tourism”.
Our Mission
- To utilise all aspects of responsible tourism as a sustainable development tool for the people of Southern Africa
- To benefit the local communities by educating and empowering them
- To promote integration of our visitors within the communities to facilitate growth and sustainable partnerships.
- To be a specialist in this niche with products like community tourism. Where these products don’t exist, Abang will develop its own with a focus on immersion: living ‘with’ the locals, not ‘visiting’. Key values are community, eco, active, experience, learn more on your holiday.
How we achieve our mission
- Projects and itineraries are carefully selected following Responsible Tourism Guidelines, ensuring that the people whose land and knowledge are used benefit from tourism.
- We contribute to the benefit of the local community through sustainable tourism.
- We support local income generation by supporting locally owned shops and restaurants and accommodations.
- Suppliers with sustainable and responsible policies are used. When contracting of destinations/suppliers signing an MoU is requested and sustainable practices are promoted.
- We use locally owned, responsibly run accommodations and excursions by preference. We support the communities by promoting the use of local guides for all types of excursions.
- Tours and accommodation offered are, where available and applicable, accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism (FTT) and Travelife. Abang Africa Travel signed The Code against child sex tourism and is informing tourists and suppliers accordingly. We have signed the Pledge of Blood Lions’s born to live wild and World Animal Protection Organisation’s pledge to join the list of Wildlife Friendly Travel Companies.
- Where applicable and possible we inform and educate tourists on Sustainable tourism practices.
- We promote a minimum of two nights stay at destinations to minimize environmental impact.
- In itineraries, the inclusion World Heritage Sites and Wildlife and Nature parks are included as part of awareness rising with regards to Natural and Cultural heritage and conservation.
Responsibilities and practices
- Abang Africa Travel strives to a Carbon Neutral office through yearly compensation.
- Abang Africa Travel’s office is an owned property. Therefore, Abang Africa Travel can use energy saving light bulbs, environmentally friendly cleaning utensils, recycled printing paper etc.
- Abang Africa Travel is signatory of The Code against Child Sexual Exploitation in tourism. As a part of this Abang Africa Travel has designed an action plan to implement within the company, to raise awareness and give its employees and stakeholders the tools on how to act should they come across a situation related to Child Sexual Exploitation. The training will be given to all employees every two years to refresh their knowledge.
- Abang Africa Travel is member of Cape Town Tourism.
- Abang Africa Travel has adequate insurance cover in place and will respond to valid personal injury claims made in terms of European Community Directive on Travel and Trade (90/314/EC) relating to the package Holiday s and Travel act, 1995.
- We will provide regular and on-going training to staff, in the principles and practices of Responsible Tourism.
- We will try to ensure that local operators and local accredited guides are given preference.
- All employees have free access to the gym which is in the same building as the office.
- All employees can make use of our free medical aid offer and join a private medical scheme with Discovery Medical Aid Insurance.
- Every two years all employees will do the Travellife Certificate training. Every new employee must do the training after start working at Abang Africa Travel.
- Abang Africa Travel will try to go almost completely paperless within the next three years. We sent travel documents to the clients digital to minimize the usage of printing paper. Invoices are not printed but rather captured on online accounting systems.
- Abang Africa Travel is offering its own community and cultural experience, set up in cooperation with the local community who run it themselves.
- Abang Africa Travel allows all the employees to have 2 work-from-home days per week. A positive effect of home office is a reduce in the carbon footprint due to the minimized arrival and departure to work particularly for those who drive to work by car.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO HELLO@ABANGAFRICA.COM