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An African safari offers a unique experience, allowing you to witness wildlife up close, observe natural wonders, immerse in diverse cultures, and reconnect with the earth. And if you’re seeking luxury, imagine savoring a drink while watching the sun cast vibrant hues over Africa’s vast landscapes.
Yet, it’s essential to think about the influence of your safari journey on the regions, communities, wildlife and ecosystems you explore. Does your spending truly benefit these areas? Safaris, especially those under the ecotourism model, can profoundly affect both local communities and conservation efforts.
Your safari plays a pivotal role in fostering a sustainable future for Africa. Tourism enhances local revenue and offers job opportunities. As per the African Development Bank, the tourism sector provides employment to over 20 million Africans. Recognizing the value of tourist influx, governments are keen on preserving and improving these travel destinations. The influx of tourists not only bolsters infrastructure but also instills pride among locals about their heritage and traditions. Additionally, tourism serves as an educational tool, raising awareness about the environment’s significance. A thriving safari industry depends on rich ecosystems teeming with wildlife.
It’s imperative for safari businesses to invest in safeguarding these habitats. This is why we have made a priority of supporting specific conservation projects through the African Bush Camps Foundation.
Ecotourism, as defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), is “travel to natural destinations that is both environmentally responsible and beneficial to local communities, incorporating both interpretation and education.” The goal is to tread lightly on the environment, promote sustainability, empower local communities, and stress the significance of safeguarding natural spaces.
Safaris and lodges built on the principles of ecotourism are not just about delivering memorable experiences. They are deeply conscious of environmental, political, and societal concerns in the areas they operate. The earnings from ecotourism ventures support not just business stakeholders, but also numerous local jobs, conservation efforts, community growth projects, and anti-poaching teams. Moreover, these lodges boost local economies by sourcing goods from nearby farmers and collaborating with regional artisans and service providers. Properly executed ecotourism can tackle the underlying issues of wildlife crime in Africa by offering employment, skill-building opportunities, and subsequently diminishing the poverty that often drives poaching and related crimes. Through this model, local communities understand the value of wildlife and the necessity to preserve it, paving the way for a lasting harmonious coexistence between humans and animals.
Furthermore, ecotourism fosters a deep appreciation for our planet. A study from Costa Rica in 2003 revealed that heightened awareness through ecotourism reduces environmental harm. It paves the way for mutual enrichment, where tourists learn from locals and vice versa. Tourists, upon recognizing the interconnectedness of nature, might adopt more eco-friendly habits. Meanwhile, locals gain insights into diverse global cultures, all while reaping economic benefits from their natural heritage.
As the popularity of ecotourism swells, it’s essential for travelers to be purpose-driven, cognizant of their influence, and select eco-friendly travel choices to minimize their environmental “footprint.”
There has been an interesting shift in travel trends and behaviour over the past few years where guests are increasingly more intentional about where they invest their time, money, and effort. It’s becoming less about consuming and more about how one is adding value in a meaningful way through how they participate and travel. Guests are consciously thinking about how their buying behaviour, travel and stay while on safari in Africa are contributing to the local community, the environment and conservation.
The Impact Safari collection aims to cater to this need. By creating an experience for guests, where they see the wildlife that they travelled thousands of miles for, while they are learning and contributing towards the communities, the people, the eco-systems, and conservation that makes Africa the Mother continent. This collection takes guests away from just being spectators in a game vehicle to being contributors and collaborators in the areas and wildlife spaces that they are visiting. These safaris create an opportunity for guests to spend some time in the local community, learn about our foundation projects in the area, and volunteer at some of our projects.
There has been an interesting shift in travel trends and behaviour over the past few years where guests are increasingly more intentional about where they invest their time, money, and effort. It’s becoming less about consuming and more about how one is adding value in a meaningful way through how they participate and travel. Guests are consciously thinking about how their buying behaviour, travel and stay while on safari in Africa are contributing to the local community, the environment and conservation.
The Impact Safari collection aims to cater to this need. By creating an experience for guests, where they see the wildlife that they travelled thousands of miles for, while they are learning and contributing towards the communities, the people, the eco-systems, and conservation that makes Africa the Mother continent. This collection takes guests away from just being spectators in a game vehicle to being contributors and collaborators in the areas and wildlife spaces that they are visiting. These safaris create an opportunity for guests to spend some time in the local community, learn about our foundation projects in the area, and volunteer at some of our projects.
Through our learner development impact safari, guests can volunteer at the local schools that we support by partnering with the African Bush Camps Foundation to help prepare and serve meals at the nutrition programs and help with any small school improvements and renovations that may be underway, such as repainting classrooms or supplying additional learning and teaching materials. Learners from the remote communities that ABCF supports walk over 10 km a day to get to school on an empty stomach and still need to concentrate and learn in class. The nutrition programs provide healthy daily meals for learners, giving them the fuel and energy that they need to participate in class and actively invest in their learning and education. The nutrition programs are a small way in which we are removing the barrier to learning that many learners face and in turn, this contributes towards building an educated young generation that is equipped to access further learning and career opportunities once they leave school.
The conservation impact safari explores one of the core pillars of the foundation, conservation. The foundation is supporting vulnerable communities that live along the national park boundary to keep their livestock safe from wildlife and actively creating awareness while educating the community on the importance of conservation and how to co-exist with wildlife in harmony. This safari is an educational adventure where guests will learn more about conservation in the national parks where we operate while getting an opportunity to partner with the foundation and community to build and erect a lion boma. A boma is a cloth material that is used to cover kraals so lions are unable to see the animals in the kraal, thus protecting the livestock inside from lions. By protecting the community’s livestock from lions and other predators, we are reducing human-wildlife conflict in the area and retaliation killing of wildlife. By going on a conservation safari, guests are leaving behind more than just a lion boma in the community, they are supporting families to preserve their wealth source and increasing the lion population in the national park.
