What's Hot

    Dream VC launches professional VC talent accelerator programs

    March 22, 2023

    Chari opens new chain of B2B stores

    March 21, 2023

    almentor raises USD 10 million in pre-Series C round

    March 20, 2023
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    • Industry
    • Infrastructure
      1. Airport
      2. Hospitality
      3. Ports
      4. Power
      5. Rail
      6. Roads
      7. Transport
      Featured

      Osun seeks to capitalise on infrastructure momentum

      Infrastructure May 21, 2018
      Recent

      KarmSolar receives USD 3 million to develop Farafra Solar Grid

      January 11, 2023

      AD Ports Group reports strong growth

      January 3, 2023

      Hyosung Heavy Industries to start construction on South African energy storage project

      December 12, 2022
    • Business & Trade
      1. Agri-Business
      2. Entrepreneurship
      3. FDI
      4. Legislative
      5. MEA
      6. Telecoms
      7. Properties
      Featured

      Analysts predict bullish future for Nigeria’s REITs market

      Business Business & Trade January 21, 2018
      Recent

      Free trade: Qatar and Morocco conclude second round of talks

      January 31, 2023

      Gold-for-oil: Ghana attempts to address forex pressures

      January 18, 2023

      AD Ports Group reports strong growth

      January 3, 2023
    • Finance
      1. Banking
      2. Islamic finance
      Featured

      Fintech dominates African startup funding

      Business Finance Innovation Startups February 15, 2023
      Recent

      Fintech dominates African startup funding

      February 15, 2023

      Social investment platform InvestSky raises USD 3.4 million

      January 12, 2023

      African startups face challenges in 2023

      January 10, 2023
    • Innovation
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    Business

    Hafsa Mbamba on the rise of sustainable tourism in Zanzibar and Africa

    March 10, 20143 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Grassroots Traveller CEO Hafsa Mbamba discusses sustainable tourism opportunities in Zanzibar in light of a promotional push by authorities

    Authorities of the Zanzibar Archipelago in Tanzania have launched an initiative to promote sustainable tourism in the semi-autonomous region, supported by a broad coalition of the various stakeholders from across the sustainable travel industry involved in the islands.

    Hafsa Mbamba, CEO of Grassroots Traveller, a destination management company, is such a stakeholder and has launched travel itineraries incorporating offerings from eco-tourism and volunteer programmes to visits to community based non-profit organisations. There is no denying that some have turned these efforts into money-making machines, but we focus on a low volume, but high impact methodology.

    She told Grassroots Traveller: “We hope to strategically position Zanzibar as a value-added beach destination, showcasing its people and both its cultural and natural heritage.

    “At the same time, and as a collective, we believe that each of us has the obligation to ensure that the tourism industry benefits both the visitors and the locals.”

    While companies focusing sustainable and volunteering elements are already a staple on the African mainland, the intention in Zanzibar is to avoid the frequent trappings of such programmes, which can include unreasonable pricing structures and/or a lack of any real proof of positive impact.Related article African energy stakeholders to meet leading international businesses in Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Governmental agencies and leading businesses unite to explore partnerships in African energy projects.

    Mbamba herself has an academic background in international tourism management, specifically in sustainable tourism, and she has coupled this expertise with an approach that ensures best practices and the positive impact on local communities are assessed first-hand.

    She explains: “There is no denying that some have turned these efforts into money-making machines, but we do thorough research, and work only with locally-based companies that visibly maximise benefit by focusing on a low volume, but high impact methodology.

    “The prices of the volunteer programmes are designed to cover the basic operational costs while our main profits derive from other, secondary sources within each holiday package.”

    ‘Grassroots Traveller’ and other officially organised sea tours have driven ecological CSR efforts as far back as 1991, supporting the conservation of the uninhabited Chumbe Island Coral Park as well as environmental education programmes targeting local schools and visitors alike.

    As another example, Grassroots Traveller on the green island of Pemba utilises renewable solar energy to preserve Pemba’s natural charm while emphasising the participation of local communities through direct employment and the encouragement of traditional culture.

    Mbamba continues: “There is definitely room for growth in sustainable tourism market, and this is being spearheaded by conscious travellers, though destinations such as Zanzibar are also recognizing that in order for tourism to serve all, it has to both be sustainable and incorporate other sectors – essentially creating linkages that extend beyond tourism.”

    For the moment the focus of Grassroots Traveller is one Zanzibar, but in future, Mbamba is certainly considering extending her operations to other areas in mainland Tanzania and across the continent.

    She adds: “Our focus is also to boost domestic tourism across the region, and, in the name of ‘utalii kwa wote’ (Kiswahili for ‘Tourism for All’), for every person to understand and appreciate their home environment and positively contribute to their national economies from the grassroots level.”

    There is no denying that some have turned these efforts into money-making machines, but we focus on a low volume, but high impact methodology.

    Africa Chumbe Island Coral Park Grassroots Traveller Hafsa Mamba Mbaba stake sustainable tourism Tanzania The Mantra Resort The Safari Blue Tourism for all Zanzibar Zanzibar Archipelago
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleUAE-based Sino-Ghanaian firm to build ICT plants in Nigeria with SLOK
    Next Article Nigeria’s Japaul plans $500m raise of funds for offshore expansion

    Related Posts

    Business

    Dream VC launches professional VC talent accelerator programs

    March 22, 2023
    Business Startups

    Chari opens new chain of B2B stores

    March 21, 2023
    Business Startups

    almentor raises USD 10 million in pre-Series C round

    March 20, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    LATEST STORIES

    Dream VC launches professional VC talent accelerator programs

    March 22, 2023

    Chari opens new chain of B2B stores

    March 21, 2023

    almentor raises USD 10 million in pre-Series C round

    March 20, 2023

    Shape receives funding from The Oman Technology Fund

    March 17, 2023

    Flat6Labs launches USD 95 million African tech startup fund

    March 16, 2023
    • Business
      • Agri-Business
      • Entrepreneurship
      • FDI
      • Legislative
      • MEA
      • Properties
      • Telecoms
    • Infrastructure
      • Airport
      • Hospitality
      • Ports
      • Power
      • Rail
      • Roads
      • Transport
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Islamic finance
    • Commodities
      • Agri commodities
      • Metals & minerals
      • Precious metals
    • Culture & Society
      • Education
      • Energy
    GAR logo
    © GulfAfricaReview.com 2014-2022, All Rights Reserved.

    Gulf Africa Review is a trade news and future networking platform for businesses leaders and trade organisations, established to first inform and secondly assist in facilitating the ongoing business and trade relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to provide an apolitical voice for this channel of economic activity in a way that benefits both geographies by improving the availability of information about market events, developments and opportunities, while publicising the successes achieved by this ever-broadening regional relationship.

      Subscribe to our newsletter

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.