Tiritose Sustainable Travel first company to achieve Travelife Partner level in Zimbabwe

WYSE Travel Confederation hosts global events for the youth travel industry. Click the logos below to learn more.

On 8 January 2020 the Travelife Partner level award was received by Tiritose Sustainable Travel, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The award recognizes the long-term efforts of Tiritose regarding sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Tiritose Sustainable Travel complies with more than 100 criteria, related to an operator’s office management, product range, international business partners and customer information. The Travelife Partner level standard is covering the ISO 26000 Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relation.

Mr. Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for tour operators, “I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operator sector is obtaining momentum. The Partner award of Tiritose Sustainable Travel will inspire other companies in Zimbabwe and the southern African region to follow the same path’.

In southern African and South Africa specifically, Travelife works in close partnership with Fair Trade Tourism, who has become the exclusive implementing partner for Travelife in southern Africa, with all FTT Approved tour operators offered free Travelife membership until 2020. Travelife and Fair Trade Tourism has combine forces to offer sustainability training and certification for tour operators throughout southern Africa and will enable tour operators to become part of the globe’s biggest network of sustainability accredited tour operators.

Mrs. Ana Lemmer, Fair Trade Tourism MD, “The Partner award of sustainable tourism to Tiritose Sustainable Travel marks a major milestone for the tourism industry in Zimbabwe. According to a recent survey we conducted, 72% of FTT/ Travelife Approved tour operators are seeing a growing demand for responsible tourism and we are excited for Tiritose Sustainable Travel to join the movement towards sustainable tourism”

About Fair Trade Tourism

Since Fair Trade Tourism’s inception in 2004, the organisation has been involved in a wide range of activities to promote and broaden the industry understanding of sustainable tourism. Fair Trade Tourism’s certification and membership programmes are main drivers in promoting fair and responsible business practice across Africa. These programmes assist tourism businesses to develop a foothold on the path to sustainability through the use of custom-designed benchmarking toolkits to meet stringent, competitive criteria, followed by an independent third party audit. The organisation’s tourism development projects have been recognized across the world and it is known for its in-depth sustainable business development services which are based on strong and unbiased tourism and development expertise.

About Travelife

Travelife is a certification system, dedicated to achieving sustainable practices within the tourism industry. It provides companies with realistic sustainability goals, tools and solutions to implement positive change within their businesses and supply chains. Travelife is managed by ABTA – The Travel Association in the UK – and by ECEAT Projects – a not-for-profit organisation based in The Netherlands. Travelife has two key focuses:

Travelife for Tour operators and Travel agents: the scheme provides online training and practical tools for sustainability management and certification. The training and online tools are suitable for tour operators and travel agencies of any size and cover all management aspects of the travel company business including office operations, the supply chain, destinations and consumers. Upon submitting a report in compliance with the Travelife standard (based on an independent onsite audit), the company can obtain the “Travelife Certified” status.

The Travelife standard for Tour operators and Travel agencies is based upon the full Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including labour conditions, human rights, environment, biodiversity and fair business practices. The management requirements are compatible with EMAS and ISO 14001. The system is supported by more than 35 national travel associations to further its implementation among members.