Africa Travel WeekThe WTM Global Responsible Tourism Awards are open for entries until the 28 February. Destinations and businesses can enter and you can nominate others on the Responsible Tourism Awards website. Exceptionally, there are 10 categories for the World Responsible Tourism Awards in 2022:
- Decarbonising Travel & Tourism
- Sustaining Employees and Communities through the Pandemic
- Destinations Building Back Better Post-COVID
- Increasing Diversity in Tourism: How inclusive is our industry?
- Reducing Plastic Waste in the Environment
- Growing the Local Economic Benefit
- Access for the differently-abled as travellers, employees and holidaymakers
- Increasing tourism’s contribution to natural heritage and biodiversity
- Conserving water and improving water security and supply for neighbours
- Contributing to cultural heritage
Henry Mathys, Senior Manager and Social Impact and Food Ecosystem Head at the Vicotria and Alfred Waterfront, explains why they applied for WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards last year. He explains why they entered the awards and points out that while the process of applying looks daunting, it is not as difficult as it looks. Winning provides an opportunity to celebrate with all those who have contributed to the recognised initiative and external validation.
As Henry explains – don’t be daunted. See the work you do to apply for the World Responsible Tourism Awards as generating copy that you can use to promote your work and share with clients and your business partners.
Tinyiko Mageza, Executive Head of Marketing at the V&A Waterfront, talks about what it meant to win in the Global Awards for their . Tinyiko describes how their work is based on passion and commitment to shared value and doing right. As she says to “win an award where there is real substance and meaning”. As Tinyiko points, the award validates their work and demonstrates that it is not just a marketing award. They are “joyful and hope that the award and their story will be a source of inspiration for other destinations that if you work collectively, you can create magic, do some incredible stuff, and leave a legacy.”
Take the time to listen to what Tinyiko has to say
The WTM Africa Awards close on 28 February 2022. Do not miss the deadline. If you do not apply you can not win.
If you are reading this and know of businesses or destinations that should apply, please encourage them to do so.
The V& A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront demonstrates what can be achieved by a large scale destination business that is determined to work at using its scale and dominance to benefit those otherwise excluded and marginalised
The V&A Waterfront is a mixed-use destination on the harbour in Cape Town, “a platform that facilitates and champions art and design, to support entrepreneurship and innovation, lead the charge on sustainability and drive positive social and economic change.” It has continued to grow employment at 3.7% annually through the pandemic. In December 2020, as cases soared, they launched Makers Landing, a food community that celebrates South Africa’s diverse cultures through food.
There is a shared incubator kitchen, a demo kitchen, eight maker production stations, a food market with approximately 35 flexible market stands, eight small co-op eateries and five anchor restaurants of various sizes. The focus is on early-stage entrepreneurs (start-up, aspirant and grassroots) with limited access to resources in the packaged foods, food service and catering industries. In addition to 17 small anchor businesses, 84 new jobs and eight new businesses have been created, 70% black-owned, 33% women lead. They maintained mentorship and coaching programmes, provided grants (R591,000) and food parcels R1.3m) and continued to fund Justice Desk in Nyanga Township.
To support job retention in the SMMEs, they raised working capital to support 49 businesses, totalling R2.52 million, supporting 208 permanent and 111 temporary jobs and provided access to cash flow analysis and support and R20 million rental relief to their 270 tenants. From their urban garden, they have provided Ladies of Love, an inner-city food program that provides meals to destitute people, just under 6 tons of vegetables, from which 130 000 meals were served in 12 kitchens in two years. The V&A Waterfront might be expected to have a significant impact; it does. The judges were particularly impressed by their innovative approach and dogged determination to continue to grow opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalised communities.
Read about the other 2021 Global Winners here
Over the years, many more small and medium-size businesses have – take a look at the Arica winners in previous years.
Africa Responsible Tourism Awards 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017;2016; 2015
Harold Goodwin
