Presentation made at the Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States conference, 23-24 November 2017, Seychelles. A partnership of the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation, IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group, University of Seychelles, Paris Tourism Sorbonne (IREST), and Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

1. Tourism certification in African hotels
Dr Anna Spenceley
Chair, IUCN Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist
Group
Board member, Global Sustainable Tourism Council
Editorial board, Journal of Sustainable Tourism
Honorary Fellow, University of Brighton
Senior Research Fellow, University of Johannesburg
annaspenceley@gmail.com
23 November 2017

2. Burning Issues: Why certification?
• Rewarding good practices:
• Improve efficiency and reduce operating costs
• Increase sales
• Gain credible independent recognition
• Identify ways to improve internal management
• Meeting obligations:
• Demonstrate compliance with legal requirements
• Comply with tour operator standards and requirements

3. • But . . . low levels of uptake
• Perhaps 10,000 properties certified globally (John Proctor,
CEO Green Tourism, UK, WTM 2017)
• Aim: To establish uptake of certification in the accommodation
sector in Africa
• Objectives:
- Establish which African countries have certification schemes for
accommodation
- Case studies
- Development of recommendations to the AfDB, AfDB Member
Countries - to encourage and incentivise certification of tourism

4. • Desk review
• Consultation - online survey – sent to 80 governments,
certification programs, specialists, tourism sector,
UN/international agencies - 41 responses
• Targeted consultation - Sustainable Tourism Certification
Alliance + certification programs + certified hotels
Method

5. Findings
African certification
programs
International certification
programs

6. Findings
Now 15

7. Case study: SIDS resort hotel in a
protected area: Constance Ephelia
 313 room resort on Mahe, Seychelles
 Port Launay National Park
 Certified twice:
 In 2015:
 Waste reduction saved Ephelia USD
17,100 in landfill and transport costs
 10 staff received USD4,763 for
recyclables they collected
 Bottle water from reverse osmosis was
54% of all drinking water – saving
200,000 plastic bottles

8.  Kavango Zambezi TFCA treaty between
Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and
Zimbabwe
 Incentive for certification: Eligible for
inclusion in Futouris catalogue & Fair Trade
Holidays
 25 new lodge certifications in 1 year (with
water and waste criteria) in Botswana,
Zambia and Zimbabwe
 Handbook on Sustainable Supply Chain
Management due 2016
 Challenge of destination with small lodges
(<20 rooms) for tour operators
Case study: Destination approach: KAZA

9. Findings: Incentives

10. Contribution
Certification:
✓Sufficient tourism certification programmes in Africa (18 operating)
✓Comprehensive criteria for waste and water in certification programs
✓Regional program to integrate sustainability criteria in star-ratings
But - very few hotels in Africa have been certified – less than 3.4%
Incentives:
✓Cost savings incentivise certification, good waste and water management
Tax allowances and more information would encourage more certification,
and better waste & water management

11. Implications: training needs

12. Implications: Actions