Category: Responsible Tourism
The responsibility highlighted in the term “responsible tourism” is a powerful concept. It invites you to continuously think about your actions, consider their immediate and far-reaching implications. In our interpretation we follow the 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter that defines it as:
(1) Recognises global environmental issues that require local action
(2) Sets goals, measures and reports efforts to minimise negative economic, environmental, and social impacts
(3) Generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities
(4) Involves local people in decisions that affect their communities
(5) Makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage
(6) Addresses biodiversity loss and is nature-positive
(7) Provides inclusive employment irrespective of ability, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation
(8) Provides more enjoyable experiences for all through more meaningful connections with locals and a greater understanding of context/issues
(9) Offers culturally sensitive experiences engendering respect between tourists and hosts, and building local pride and confidence
To these we add:
(10) Promotes animal welfare
Our Stories:
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It Hits Different: Illumineers Video, Friendship Camp Edition
The freshest, the most 🔥 version of the Illumineers promo video is here — with tons of footage from Friendship Camp! Feeling generous today? GoFundMe link is right here. 😎 You may also like: Trouble for Batwa “Pygmy” Communities: Successes & FailuresTrouble for Batwa “Pygmy” Communities: Lake BunyonyiDoes a Responsible Traveller Take Photos of Locals?Honestly,…
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Heroes, Platforms & Splashes: Swimming Lessons at Lake Bunyonyi
You’d think that with a lake as gorgeous and safe as Bunyonyi, people would’ve been splashing about for centuries. Not quite. For hundreds of years the lake was more motorway than playground, busy with dugout canoes hacked out of eucalyptus trees. With 29 islands scattered across the water, families farmed or lived there, but swimming?…
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Top 6 Pieces of Advice Before You Hit the Congo Nile Trail
The better you prepare for your hike or ride on Rwanda’s Lake Kivu shores, the more you will enjoy it. Here are our top 6 pieces of advice: 1. Set Realistic Expectations Mental preparation is as important as physical fitness. Understand the difficulty level of every day on the way. Know that it might be…
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Rwandafully Classy: 40 Baby Gorillas Named
The 20th edition of Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s celebrated baby gorilla naming ceremony, was held in Kinigi yesterday. 40 mountain gorilla kiddos born since 2023 received their names, bringing the two-decades total of baby gorillas named to 438. The ceremony welcomed many distinguished guests, including the First Lady Jeannette Kagame and the Prime Minister, Dr. Justin…
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Volunteer’s Dilemma: Cause, Cash or the Girl?
Stay in Africa to help, or return to Europe for paid work (and a girlfriend who misses you badly)? A dilemma that many a volunteer has faced before … but usually not just a few days after their arrival! Last month, that happened to Sifis Sareidakis, 25, a Greek computer analyst turned supply chain planner.…
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Nature. Culture. Together.
Nature. Culture. Together. That’s our slogan from now on. Nature and culture have always been central to what we do, but it’s the third word, together, that carries the most weight. It’s rich with meaning. It speaks to our interdependence with nature. It reflects the need for the three countries of our region to grow…
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Partnership with Batwa “Pygmies”: Not the Easiest but Highly Impactful
Volunteering with Batwa “Pygmies”? Not the easiest thing in the world, yet potentially highly impactful! Londoner Edd had selected it from our long list of projects that had been waiting for the right person — and that’s how he found himself in a dugout with two Batwa delegates. The destination: BirdNest Resort, Lake Bunyonyi. There,…
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Lean & Mean Developments — For Travellers Who Care
The Gorilla Highlands team stepped into a new era last weekend. At the first-ever All-Hands meeting of Gorilla Highlands Limited, we had 13 Rwandans, 12 Ugandans and one Congolese representative assembling at Kigali’s Resident Hotel. The reason: anticipated fast growth of our tour business, combined with Miha Logar’s determination to leave the daily pressures of the travel…
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Does a Responsible Traveller Take Photos of Locals?
100mm, f/5, 1/800s, ISO125 Photographing people is, understandably, a somewhat contentious activity. When we travel — and this we means absolutely anyone — we tend to do so because we are intrigued by exotic places, animals and cultures. “Exotic” simply means different, by the way, so Swedish culture can be just as exotic to a…
