ECO-TOURISM: Offering a Serene and Sustainable Haven for Unwinding from the Hustle and Bustle

By Peter Kinuthia Murimi

After working hard to reach your goals, you deserve to unwind from the hustle and bustle that characterizes your work. At times, one may be stuck on the choices of destinations to take a vacation for the purpose of relaxing. For those with a great spirit of adventure, going for a vacation outside one’s country is always ideal as it gives one a chance to experience new environments, culture, and traditions.

People are used to the aspect of sustainability in the corporate sector, and especially the current trend of initiatives aligning businesses to the ESG pillars. Consequently, there is growing debate on whether ample attention has been accorded to the tourism sector, that plays a crucial role in offering memorable experiences destinations for travel enthusiasts. If it calls for advocating for sustainability in the places where people work and businesses supporting consumer goods and services, it is also fair to expect the same across all sectors. The tourism sector offers the opportunity to experience new destinations and also get a chance to connect with nature, which is therapeutic to one’s body and soul. Some argue that more could be done to raise more awareness of sustainability developments and trends in the larger tourism sector in support of its crucial connection to nature and the environment where people go unwind.

THE EVOLUTION OF ECO-TOURISM IN AFRICA

The emergence of eco-tourism has become critical in furthering the sustainability agenda in the tourism sector. The term eco-tourism effectively means a fusion and streamlining of ecological principles in the tourism sector’s operations. There are responsible tourism players that are conscious about the natural environment and the critical role it plays in supporting tourism as well as reducing its impact on the environment. Kenya has always been identified as a tourist destination of choice for many international travellers, owing to its great wealth of natural capital. It is among the among the few countries offering a chance to witness the famous Big Five in a capital city, and also a haven to witness one of the Seven wonders at play in nature, the crossing of the millions of wildebeests and Zebras in the famous Mara River.

How Sustainability Is Being Achieved Through Ecotourism

There are various ways that sustainability through ecotourism can be achieved across Africa. One of the main ways is through what is popularly known as conservancies. This entails creating a larger ecosystem that offers tourism potential, turning them into privately owned and managed reserves that are later manned and controlled by the native landowners. They generate a considerable amount of income by lending some of these areas for the development of lodges to foreign entrepreneurs, who often times establish 5-star lodges. Consequently, these reserves and lodges become protected areas, offering touristic experiences to foreign and local tourists, and spearheading the conservation of the species including those considered as endangered.

THE AWARD-WINNING SIRIKOI LODGE: A CASE STUDY FOR SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS

There are various lodges that are performing well in the area of sustainability through eco-tourism. One such lodge is the Sirikoi Lodge, which was named as the Top Safari Lodge in 2021 by the World Tourism Awards. The award not only took into account the lodge aesthetics, but also considered the commitment the lodge makes towards sustainable initiatives. For energy sourcing, unlike most other lodges, Sirikoi Lodge is run on 100% green renewable solar power, which it uses for lighting and water heating. The solar power energy is also upgraded and tapped into the electric fence that surrounds the lodge.

The lodge is also plastic-free and does not encourage the use of any form of plastic for packaging of any guest amenities, helping keep the ecosystem clean and unpolluted. For its water source, the lodge is dependent on natural water, tapped from the mountain spring, and fed into the lodge through the use of gravity. However, it is worth noting that all the water undergoes thorough filtration for purification purposes. The lodge has also embraced recycling technology for its wastewater, using a unique eco-friendly bio boxy system. This significantly reduces its water footprint, which has a positive impact on the environment. For solid waste management, the lodge has partnered with recycling entities, which receive all glass, metal, or any other form of recyclable material. These are then upcycled, such that glass containers are used for packaging jam manufactured at the lodge as well as other preservatives. Sirikoi Lodge maintains a strict sourcing policy that is anchored on sustainability, also using bags that are woven by the local community members.

Sustainable Menu Options At Sirikoi Lodge

The Lodge’s food is organically grown in a garden operated by the staff, with additional sourcing from neighboring communities when inhouse demands are unmet. As part of their social responsibility initiatives the lodge ensures that community farming activity is supervised, guaranteeing that fruits and vegetables are grown organically. Efforts to support education of neighboring communities continues and is achieved through the provision of bursaries to outstanding children in the area, with further financial support rendered to severely underprivileged families in the area. The lodge also has an elaborate bursary program that supports children in the local orphanage with access to education from their lower primary to university level.

KNOWLEDGE IMPARTATION TO THE STAFF COMPLEMENT.

The lodge’s management team hosts regular workshops where employees and guests can garner more insights in energy and water conservation. The staff are also trained on how to identify invasive species, which are then kept away from the lodge’s ecosystem. The lodge has committed to fence its grounds; essential in protecting the endangered black Rhino. The electric fence is solarized, and also serves as an exclusion zone for the elephants and protected acacia trees, which also part of the Rhinos’ diet.

On close analysis, it is evident that Sirikoi lodge is a stellar example of hospitality companies leading in sustainability through eco-tourism. Governments in African countries should therefore consider adoption of conservancies with the support of local and foreign entrepreneurs to establish sustainable tourist destinations. This will provide solutions to the issues of poaching and conservation of the endangered species, while empowering the surrounding local communities.