Responsible
Tourism - South Africa
Social Responsibility
What Is The Issue?
Respect for local culture and support for social development are integral to responsible tourism practice, considering the impacts tourism can have on local communities.
Whilst tourism can improve local living standards, uncontrolled development can destabilize whole communities. Negative impacts can range from increased tension as a result of unequal benefits to crime, prostitution, begging, alcohol and drug abuse. Tourism operators should be sensitive to potential impacts, such as loss of privacy, prevention of access to culturally significant places, invasion of sacred sites or the demeaning of cultural ceremonies, which can result from tourism.
By setting up genuine cooperative structures with staff and local people and involving them in planning and decision making, trust and mutual cooperation can be built. Providing support with education and health care and contributing to social infrastructure also promotes goodwill and helps to improve local quality of life, ultimately leading to mutual benefits.
What Can You Do?
Establish Cooperative Structures.
Cooperative structures take into account the structure of the community, cultural protocols and existing chains of command.
Identify what issues should be covered e.g. safety and security, rights to harvest natural resources, access to culturally significant sites, managing donations, maintaining cultural integrity, respecting religious practices and the use of indigenous knowledge.
Choose a method of cooperation - either an informal arrangement or a formal structure with legal standing.
(a) You can set up a management board if you wish to involve local stakeholders in the
planning and management of your enterprise.
(b) You can set up a trust if you want to create a structure to manage the flow of benefits to
the community.
(c) You can set up a forum for agreements if you need to tackle issues of joint concern.
Ensure that you jointly determine venues, publicize local meetings and report on decisions taken.
Who’s Doing It?
The Ufudu Flyfishing Experience has set up formal partnerships with local communities in Pondoland in the Eastern Cape and at Kosi Bay in KwaZulu-Natal for planning, decision making and employment.
The Mdluli Tribal Authority in Mpumalanga has formed the Mdluli Trust with the assistance of a property developer. It aims to support the 29 000 community members by providing infrastructure and funding for education and land development, literacy and health care. Trustees include Chief Mdluli, the developer and an elected member from each village in the Tribal Authority.
Lilani Hot springs is owned by a community trust, formed with assistance from the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority. The trust ensures that local people are employed and that profits are spent on the upgrade of community infrastructure. A non-profit Section 21 Company has been formed to manage the resort, with directors selected by the community.
Promote a Local Tourism Culture
Offer to provide tourism lectures at local schools.
Invite local school children to visit your tourism operation.
Work with other tourism initiatives, to promote a tourism culture in your region.
Support Local Development and Education
Ask local staff and community representatives about their immediate development needs.
Jointly identify community projects for improvements, e.g. a local school, clinic or sports team. You may wish to ‘adopt a school’, provide bursaries to local school children, or support promising young sports stars. Record how many projects you support and where the funds come from.
Address health education for staff and local people, e.g. how to combat HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
Facilitate literacy and other education programs for staff and local people.
Link staff and local people with support agencies that will assist them with community development programs.
Respect Local Culture
Negotiate with host communities the notice required for tourist visits, what activities are acceptable and what size groups are suitable. Ask whether it is appropriate for tourists to visit people’s homes.
Treat cultural heritage with dignity and respect. Inform guests about local customs and traditions and appropriate behavior. Ensure that tourists ask permission to take photographs or to videotape people.
Ensure that clients do not damage or remove religious or cultural artifacts.
Support Agencies
The Africa Foundation funds social infrastructure, encourages SMME establishment, builds capacity, develops skills and education programs within local communities in conservation and ecotourism areas. (www.africafoundation.org)
The National Poverty Relief Programme helps to finance tourism infrastructure and product development and related training and capacity building. (www.environment.gov.za)
The Tourism Learnership Programme run by the Tourism, Hospitality & Sport Education & Training Authority (THETA) aims to train 5000 unemployed people and upgrade the skills of 10 000 more in hospitality. Employers get a R25 000 deduction from declared income for each learner ship and a R50 000 deduction for each one completed. There are 19 learner ships, which cover most disciplines across the tourism sector. (www.theta.org.za)
Who’s Doing It?
Sabi Sabi Game Reserve provides staff development programs, which include adult literacy, English proficiency, business orientation and HIV/AIDS awareness. The lodge also supports the Lillydale Environmental Education Centre, which runs environmental, travel and tourism courses and promotes Shangaan culture.
Umngazi River Bungalows has made potable water available to the local community. The hotel purifies water from the Umngazi River and has supplied standpipes for local agricultural and domestic use.
Ngala Private Game Reserve supports conservation lessons for pupils from local schools. Members of the neighboring Welverdiend community have received bursaries in travel, tourism management and business, whilst one community member was given a bursary from Moët & Chandon to do a hotel management course and train in restaurants in France and the USA.
Thornybush Game Reserve finances local students from six rural schools to attend environmental education courses at the neighboring Ilkley Environmental Centre.
Grootbos Nature Reserve has established the Green Futures College to provide practical training programs for unemployed people in the fields of fynbos landscaping, horticulture and ecotourism. The project will assist at least 12 people to find work in the fynbos gardening/ecotourism industry each year.
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