PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Stormsriver Adventures Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour has been reaccredited in Fair Trade Tourism (FTT). The adventure tour company was among the first to receive their accreditation in 2003 and after 20 years the organisation proudly shared that they still adhere to the principles and values of responsible tourism.
FTT is a non-profit organisation that promotes responsible tourism practices in Africa.
It is founded on six principles: fair share, fair say, respect, reliability, sustainability and transparency. Its vision is to develop the market for fair trade tourism in a way that benefits people, business and the environment.
For close to three decades, Stormsriver Adventures has been leaders in responsible and sustainable tourism and its approach centres around three key elements: economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Their personnel - local and locally trained guides - make the experience even more insightful, providing interesting facts about the local flora, fauna and culture to adventurers flying through the forest on the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour, making the famous Woodcutters' Journey, or joining a guided hike.
The company is committed to community upliftment by creating jobs, forming synergistic relationships in the area and supporting and assisting local SMMEs.
"Sustainable development ... meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs," says CEO Ashley Wentworth. This is a vitally important philosophy as their tour operations lie in the very heart of the Garden Route National Park.
Managing director Anneline Wyatt explains that the company's ethos has always been to promote environmental education, conservation and eco-adventure forest tours while uplifting the surrounding community.
"We have just received our FTT re-accreditation, achieving an overall performance of 94% for mandatory criteria and 80% for general criteria. We are proud to be one of the longest-standing accredited adventure companies in South Africa."
They remain committed to their community and remain aligned with the needs of the community that part-owns it and from where most employees are sourced.
Plett Tourism CEO Patty Butterworth is also delighted by the re-accreditation.
"We are so proud of them and their successes. We appreciate the level of commitment and passion that goes into maintaining these proud Fair Trade Tourism principles for over 20 years and would like to thank the team for being a beacon of sustainable tourism in our area."
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