Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) launched a new membership programme in May 2017 aimed at tourism businesses that need support with their sustainability measures but do not have the resources to become certified in the short term.
For an annual membership fee, ranging from R1,100 for a sole enterprise to R6,000 for a business with 26-50 staff members, Fair Trade Tourism will guide businesses along the sustainability path, focusing on areas such as legal compliance, labour and staff management, reducing energy, water and waste, fair purchasing and improving market access.
Says Jane Edge, Managing Director of FTT: “Our aim is to bring more smaller businesses into the Fair Trade Tourism value chain, to encourage them to operate more sustainably and to expose them to tour operators who support sustainable efforts. By lowering the threshold for enterprises to access our business development services, we hope to broaden our sustainability impact and contribute to more inclusive growth of the tourism industry.”
Aspirant members need to be approved by FTT’s Client Advisory Committee and to sign a pledge committing them to year-on-year improvements in their sustainability measures. Applicants fill out a self-evaluation form online about their sustainability actions and FTT will produce a gap analysis highlighting areas where the business needs to improve. FTT will provide the toolkits, templates and advice required to assist businesses along the sustainability path.
For more information, contact Thiofhi Ravele, Business Development Services Manager at thiofhi@fairtrade.travel or apply online on www.fairtrade.travel.
