Responsible Tourism in Tanzania, We love everything about Africa: the people, the animals, and the land. That’s why we will do anything to protect this beautiful land. At the same time, we want as many people as possible to visit Tanzania and see its beauty for themselves. To be clear, we care a lot about responsible travel.

Now you might be asking, “Well that’s great, but how do “responsible” and “tourist” go together?” We understand why you feel that way. There’s no doubt that the tourism business isn’t the greenest. But we’re doing our best to give back to the world and the people that live on it while also making trips that people will never forget. It’s true that we’re not perfect, but we’re always trying to get better.

The pros and cons of tourism will be discussed in this piece, along with what we are doing to protect nature and help the locals, as well as what you can do too.

Okay, let’s get going, shall we?

Bad things and good things about tourism

What are the cons?

First, let’s talk about the most obvious way that tourism hurts the environment: flying. There must be a way to get from one place to another. Going to Tanzania only has one way to get there (unless you have a lot of time and want a really exciting adventure). In your own country or even on the continent, you can use public transportation.

Plus, the more tourists there are, the worse it is for the country. Roads and hotels need to be built in places that used to be farms and landscapes. More people means more pollution and trash, and some old cultural practices might be lost. Now that Instagram is around, secret gems are often turned into popular safari spots, which is bad for both animals and nature.

Tourism does have some good points, though, and that’s where this article’s dark side ends. The next part will paint a better picture.

The good things

To find out what good things tourists can do for a country and its people, we should talk to someone who lives there. Like our head, Epimark Mndevu, who was born and raised in Lushoto in the Usambara Mountains and has worked in the tourism business since 1996.

Not only does the travel industry give him a job he loves, but it also gives him a steady income. This means he can take care of his family and the businesses and places in his area. In other words, a good circle.

On the other hand, the benefits can be seen on a bigger picture. When more people visit a country, it makes more money, which is very important for poor countries in particular. They can help their people and use the extra money for conservation or scenery preservation if they have it. Traveling does hurt the Earth, but it also helps it.

We promise to promote sensible tourism in Tanzania

No matter what we do, we put the health and safety of animals, people, and places first. This means that, say, on a tour, we get close to your favorite animals without bothering them because our guides know so much about them.

As you might expect, we also want to make sure that your trip with us is as safe and eco-friendly as it can be. That’s why we’ve taken care of some things ourselves, like teaching people how to be good hosts and running educational programs, as well as starting local recycling programs and using green energy.

Natural power powers the accommodations

When we choose our housing partners, we do check to make sure they are comfortable and real. But we also have a list of environmental requirements that we want to be met. These range from reducing trash to using green energy. And because the sun shines on Tanzania most of the time, solar panels power 75% of our places to stay.

CO2-free things to do

You can go on adventure in our 4x4s, of course. We update our fleet on a regular basis with an eye toward new and long-lasting efficiency. There are, however, ways to leave only your real marks behind. You can go hiking, biking, on a canoe trip, or sleep in a simple tent outside under the stars.

There are always more trees than you need.

Our Manyara Tree Planting Project began in 2020, not far from Arusha National Park. We quickly grew from 30 acres to 48 acres, and we have no plans to stop. We want to take in at least some of the pollution our business makes by planting more native trees.

Giving money where it’s needed

That year, Epimark was sixteen years old and had a bad flu that knocked him out. The Catholic sisters at the Gare Catholic Dispensary took care of him, and we wanted to give back to this life-saving organization because we are so grateful for their help. We gave them medicine, pillows, and sheets, and we hope to be able to give them an ultrasound and X-ray machine soon.

Travel Africa that is certified as sustainable

In order to honor Tanzanian tourism companies that take nature into account, the people who started Tanzania Zanzibar Safari created this project. They can wear this prestigious title if they put the environment first, use sustainable methods, and do their part in our promise to make Tanzania a sustainable place for everyone.

Giving our workers help

They are the only ones who can make our business possible. Everyone who works for us, from our office staff to our bush guides, goes through a long hiring process and gets a lot of training, which includes learning about the environment.

Teaching kids on the street

Tanzania has a big problem with young people not having jobs. To help kids and teens have a future, we opened the Hakuna Matata Academy in 2022. Every year, we teach about 200 street kids new skills. People learn basic life skills as well as things about wildlife, nature, and the service industry. Our goal is to teach them about this field and get them trained in it. They can better protect nature and help their community if they know more.

You can see that we do more than just say that we care about responsible travel. We aren’t afraid to be responsible for Tanzania’s people, animals, and lands. Of course, things can always be better, which is why we’re always on the lookout for new opportunities.

Things you can do

And it doesn’t matter if you go to Tanzania or somewhere else—you can always do something to help the environment.

We’ve put together eight useful tips that can be used anywhere at any time.

Check the box that says “carbon compensation” when you book your flight.
Show respect for other countries and customs and buy from local businesses.
When you can, do things that are better for the environment. For example, take the train to the near by airport.
Respect nature and animals. Take your trash with you and watch animals from afar. Do not feed them.
Do things that are good for you, like nature walks, bike rides, or a canoe safari.
Look for responsible tourism rules that are specific to your country or activity, and make sure you follow them.

Donate to help protect the environment; a few dollars can go a long way.
Turn off your phone. The internet makes up a lot of CO2 emissions. This tip might not make a big difference, but it does help a little and makes you feel like you have complete freedom on vacation.

Last but not least, book your trip with Tanzania Zanzibar Safari 😉 You’ll have the experience of a lifetime and instantly help all of our efforts if you do that.

You want to learn more about some projects, hobbies, or ways to travel? Get in touch with us, and we’ll show you all of Tanzania in a way that doesn’t hurt the earth.