Fair Trade Tourism

Fair Trade Tourism is a new and ground-breaking initiative, allowing you to extend your ethical purchasing decisions beyond everyday products, such as coffee, tea and fruit, and to include holidays that guarantee a better life for the people of South Africa.

Fair Trade Tourism provides a framework for fair and sustainable development in tourism. It has clear standards of supporting disadvantaged producers and staff along the whole supply chain, with fair trading standards and prices, and a fair trade premium for social development in South Africa. Along the lines of fair trade in products, Fair Trade Tourism is aimed at improving the living conditions of disadvantaged small entrepreneurs and employees in tourism, at securing their livelihoods, and at enabling them to live in dignity.

Baobab Travel has four Fair Trade Tourism certified South Africa travel packages. As part of this process we, as a company, have been fully audited to prove our commitment to Fair Trade not only through trading & labour standards, but also through our Procurement and Economic, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Environmental Policies. Hence, this new certification gives BAOBAB Travel the opportunity to realise forms of travel that are economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. We now proudly display the official Fair Trade Tourism mark, which is endorsed by Fairtrade International (FLO), Transfair Germany, and South Africa Tourism.

The Fair Trade Premium is an essential component of the International Fair Trade (FLO) system. It is therefore also an integral part of the Fair Trade Tourism system with a 5% levy being raised on each package. This premium is invested in development projects indirectly related to tourism in South Africa. However this Fair Trade Premium is NOT passed on to you as a customer. Baobab Travel and its South African partner, Uluntu Africa, have decided that we will pay that premium as an indication of our commitment to the cause.

All accommodation and activities used in these Fair Trade Tourism accredited packages are Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) certified products.

The Code: As part of our Fair Trade in Tourism certification, Baobab Travel has signed the Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct. The Code aims to provide increased protection to children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. It is based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. By signing the Code, we commit ourselves to implement measures into our operations to pro-actively protect children from sex tourism.

Just in South Africa, at least 40,000 children are exploited as child prostitutes each year and more than 250,000 children with an average age of 13 live on the streets. The number of trafficked and exploited children in South Africa is not known, however, statistics show that every year 1,500 children under the age of 18 go missing. Although South Africa is not a renowned child sex tourism or trafficking destination, certain realities, such as a growing tourism industry, create the perfect environment for the exploitation of children.

FTTSA Logo What is Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa? The FTTSA certification programme for tourism products was launched in 2002, and their accredited portfolio of accommodation and activities are increasing annually. The vision of FTTSA is to encourage a fair, participatory and sustainable tourism industry in South Africa. The certification programme endorses establishments that meet stringent criteria and acknowledge the FTTSA principles to ensure fair and responsible business practise.

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa is about ensuring that the people whose land, natural resources, labour, knowledge and culture are used for tourism activities, actually benefit from tourism.

Fair Share - Participants are entitled to a fair share of income directly proportioned to their contribution to a specific tourism activity.

Democracy - Employees are entitled to participate in decisions that concern them.

Respect - Respect for human rights, culture and environment, which includes safe working conditions, gender equality, reduced consumption and protection of natural resources.

Reliability - Service delivery should be reliable and consistent, and basic safety and security for both host and visitor should be ensured.

Transparency - Ownership of business should be clearly defined, sharing of profits, benefits and losses must be transparent.

Sustainability - Increase knowledge through capacity building, share resources through partnerships, encourage the responsible use of resources and reduce leakage through local purchasing and employment.