As we celebrate World Wildlife Day with the 2016 theme “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, African Bush Camps is proud to confirm that our Somalisa and Somalisa Acacia Camps were awarded the first Gold certification from Green Tourism, the largest internationally recognised sustainable certification programme of its kind, and the first to be awarded to any property within Zimbabwe. More than ever before, Green Tourism has become essential for the long-term sustainability of any business and for providing visitors with an enhanced experience. Recent years have been some of the hottest on record and over the last 40 years we have lost an estimated 50% of the abundance of life through habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and the over-exploitation of natural resources. It has become imperative for every safari operator to look at their own carbon footprint to ensure they are operating in a sustainable manner so that these incredible habitats and the wildlife can be conserved for future generations. African Bush Camps is continually working towards more sustainable methods to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure the long term conservation of Africa’s wildlife and habitats.
To achieve this prestigious award and accreditation, Somalisa and Somalisa Acacia were recently graded on-site by qualified and independent environmentally friendly assessors against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas such as energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and social involvement and communication. Green Tourism has three graded award levels based on the assessments carried out on-site. Achieving a Gold Certification Award means that Somalisa and Somalisa Acacia scored 80% and above and is recognised as “Outstanding / Inspirational” by the Green Tourism Team.
We are delighted with this award and we are committed to continuing to operate in accordance with recognised quality standards appropriate to both our customers’ needs and the long term well being and conservation of the areas in which we operate. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the rebuild of Somalisa and Somalisa Acacia as it has been a combined effort to achieve this outstanding award and to ensure we are minimising our impact on this planet. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our fellow Operators in Zimbabwe who were awarded Green Tourism certifications.
