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:
-

Trouble for Batwa “Pygmy” Communities: Lake Bunyonyi
We previously talked about Rwamahano, as an example of Batwa “Pygmy” groups we work with. These indigenous people originate from some of the oldest humans in Africa. They once lived in forests looking for fruits and honey, and hunted with bows and arrows, trained dogs by their side. Towards the end of the 20th century…
-

Can Primate Parachuters Be Responsible Tourists?
If our goal is to make travel in the Gorilla Highlands region more responsible, what do we do with Primate Parachuters? The Primate Parachuter (PP) shall be a provisional term for a tourist who is only interested in seeing mountain gorillas, and maybe chimps. For many PPs, time in Rwanda/Uganda is severely limited, usually because…
-

Have You Heard?! We Won a Global Responsible Tourism Award!
Gorilla Highlands was among the winners at the 2022 WTM Responsible Tourism Awards celebrated in London on Monday. We took the global “Contributing to Cultural Heritage” category and also won gold in the “Rest of the World” competition. After a decade of revealing natural and cultural landscapes of our region to discerning travellers, we were…
-

Trouble for Batwa “Pygmy” Communities: Echuya Forest
This week we accompanied the last group of tourists into the wilderness of Echuya Forest and to the famed ritual tree of the Batwa “Pygmies”. From now on we are going to be charged USD 30 per person to enter this nature reserve, and we are simply not ready to pay this exorbitant fee. We…
-

Is Tracking Gorillas Ethical?
105mm, f/3.2, 1/400s, ISO1600 Questions like this are tricky, mainly because only one of the parties involved — that would be us, the humans — can truly understand what’s happening and why. Let us explain … Mountain gorillas were almost extinct by the early 1980s, and only a concerted conservation effort brought them back from…
-

SABA Episode #15 — Bad Things White People Do in Africa (And How to Repent)
The goal of this episode, according to Kahiri and Miha, was to make the shortest podcast so far, and listening to the action-packed 13 minutes above we certainly managed! But it definitely wasn’t our goal to end up with the most delayed SEE AFRICA BREATHE AFRICA ever. I will take the blame because of —…
-

SABA Episode #11 — Eco, Sustainable or Responsible Tourism? It’s Clear (at Least to Harold Goodwin)!
It was a no-brainer whom to invite as our guest for the 11th episode of SEE AFRICA BREATHE AFRICA focused on responsible tourism (we cut it down to 17 minutes only, to be as user-friendly as possible). Who would be your top mark if you were to discuss the Catholic Church? Pope Francis of course!…
-

SABA Episode #10 — How to Be Good Partners to Batwa ‘Pygmies’?
For the tenth episode of SEE AFRICA BREATHE AFRICA (we are now in the double digits!) I was sent on a mission to visit the Batwa “Pygmy” people of Echuya Forest on the Uganda-Rwanda border. Miha was attempting to kill two birds with one stone — introducing me to the realities of the Batwa and…
-

SABA Episode #8 — How to Change Africa’s Image Worldwide?
On this eighth and final episode of the 2021 SEE AFRICA BREATHE AFRICA podcasts, the discussion revolves around something I have a particular interest in: How to change Africa’s image worldwide? Though I am African through and through, born and raised in Uganda, I don’t believe I had ever had to address the issue of…
Wish to move on to another category?
