The Accountable Tourism Partnership has introduced that Wildlife ACT has obtained first place within the ‘Greatest for Nature-Optimistic Tourism’ class on the prestigious WTM World Accountable Tourism Awards for 2023.
After securing the Gold award on the WTM Africa Accountable Tourism Awards earlier this yr, Wildlife ACT was subsequently nominated alongside different regional winners for the worldwide championship.
These awards play a pivotal function in selling and endorsing accountable and sustainable tourism practices inside the journey business.
“The WTM World Accountable Tourism Awards not solely showcase the very best of the very best in accountable tourism, however units the compass for our international business in creating sustainable journey and vacation experiences,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director – Journey, Tourism & RX Africa Advertising.
By means of our voluntourism mannequin, Wildlife ACT has been in a position to present steady, skilled monitoring providers to over ten protected areas in Zululand for 15 years. We additionally contribute to endangered species administration throughout Africa, in addition to the restoration of North Island in Seychelles.
This international award for Greatest Nature-Optimistic Tourism underscores the significance of Wildlife ACT’s voluntourism and neighborhood conservation fashions, which counterpoint the important conservation work carried out by our workforce.
Additionally recognised by the judges through the decision-making course of was Wildlife ACT’s Neighborhood Conservation Programme (CCP). We’re abundantly conscious that many people dwelling close to South Africa’s protected areas and nationwide parks have restricted entry to those pure areas. To ensure that conservation efforts to be efficient and sustainable, these gaps have to be bridged. Our CCP seeks to advertise participation in and improve folks’s understanding of the conservation sector, underscoring the worth of nature and highlighting financial alternatives inside the area.
“I’m extraordinarily happy with our devoted workforce of Wildlife ACT conservationists who’re so dedicated to our endangered and precedence species of wildlife. This award is a mirrored image of their ardour and dedication. I additionally need to thank the unbelievable volunteers who’ve joined our tasks to make a significant and quantifiable contribution to our tasks. With out your hands-on involvement, Wildlife ACT merely wouldn’t have been in a position to obtain what we’ve got the identical degree of impression over the past 15 years.”
– Johan Maree – Wildlife ACT Co-Founder and Director.
This outstanding recognition is a notable achievement not just for Wildlife ACT and our companions but in addition for South Africa and the complete continent. Africa continues to make its mark as a most popular vacation spot for accountable vacationers.