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| Ecotourism Kenya announced yet another achievement for Eco-rating Certification. The Kenya based organization received another boost with the signing of a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) between Fair Trade Tourism and Ecotourism Kenya.
Sustainable tourism in Africa has received another great boost with the signing of a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) between Fair Trade Tourism and Ecotourism Kenya.
The MRA sees Fair Trade Tourism recognising Ecotourism Kenya’s Gold eco-certified camps, lodges and hotels which can now be incorporated by approved tour operators into Fair Trade Holidays – holiday packages that represent global best practice in responsible tourism.
These packages feature a minimum of 50% bednights spent in a Fair Trade Tourism certified (or recognised) property, and can also feature certified activities and tours which contribute towards this percentage.
Launched in 2002 and recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Ecotourism Kenya’s Eco-rating Certification Scheme is a sustainable tourism voluntary certification programme that has certified more than 100 facilities across Kenya.
Ecotourism Kenya’s Eco-rating scheme Gold standard facilities now recognised by Fair Trade Tourism are: |
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· Base Camp Maasai Mara, Maasai Mara
· Camp ya Kanzi, Amboseli
· Cottars 1920 Camp, Maasai Mara
· Elephant Pepper Camp, Maasai Mara
· Elsa’s Kopje, Laikipia
· Kicheche Bush Camp, Maasai Mara
· Kicheche Laikipia, Laikipia
· Kicheche Mara Camp, Maasai Mara
· Kicheche Valley Camp, Maasai Mara
· Kilima Camp, Maasai Mara
· Kitich Camp, Samburu
· Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp, Nakuru
· Lewa Safari Camp, Laikipia
· Mara Plains Camp, Maasai Mara
· Medina Palms Hotel, Watamu
· Naboisho Camp, Maasai Mara
· Olarro Lodge, Maasai Mara
· Porini Amboseli Camp
· Porini Lion Camp, Maasai Mara
· Porini Mara Camp, Maasai Mara
· Porini Rhino Camp, Laikipia
· Sanctuary Olonana, Maasai Mara
· Sasaab Samburu, Samburu
· Serena Beach Hotel and Spa, Mombasa
· Solio Lodge, Nyeri
· Sirikoi Lodge, Laikipia
· Sweetwaters Serena Tented Camp, Laikipia
· Tawi Lodge, Amboseli
· Tortilis Camp, Amboseli
· Turtle Bay Beach Club, Watamu |
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Fair Trade Tourism is a leading Southern African non-profit organisation promoting responsible tourism development. It grows awareness about responsible tourism to travellers, assists tourism businesses to operate more sustainably and facilitates a globally recognised certification programme. In 2011 its certification standard became the first in Africa to be recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
The organisation’s steady expansion into Africa through direct product certification and partnerships with like-minded certification programmes has positioned it at the forefront of the sub-continent’s sustainable, responsible tourism efforts.’We are thrilled to have formalised our partnership with Ecotourism Kenya‘ says Fair Trade Tourism Director Jane Edge. ‘This means that it is now possible to travel the Fair Trade way in eight countries – Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, as well as Kenya‘. |
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About Ecotourism Kenya:
Ecotourism Kenya is a civil society organization directly serving more than 450 members, and reaching out to hundreds more in Kenya. Since its inception in 1996 Ecotourism Kenya has been involved in a wide range of activities to promote and broaden the industry understanding of sustainable tourism, and attract membership beyond the mainstream tourism industry. These include organizing international conferences and training workshops to developing guidelines such as the Green Destination Guidelines, codes of conduct, best practices and a Green Eco-rating Certification Scheme. Ecotourism Kenya has had many firsts: it was the first Ecotourism Society in Africa; the first to develop a voluntary eco-certification scheme for hotels/lodges in Africa, the first to publish a Green Directory of producers of green products and services, the first to develop a Sustainability Standard for Tour Operators in E. Africa and the first to develop Green Destination Guidelines in Africa. |
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