First certified package tour from Germany to South Africa

SKR in Cologne is the first German tour operator to offer a fair trade travel package to South Africa, and South Africa the first country with fair trade certified accommodation and other services. Compiling the package was a challenge, though, says Kim Geffen, who organised the tour for SKR. There are not enough certified lodges yet, especially not in the 3-star-category. More upmarket lodges had to be included. Food, activities, and transport presented additional challenges. Food (but not full board) is provided by the lodges.

Activities are either certified, such as whale and dolphin watching in PlettenbergBay, or they may not need certification if they are part of the national heritage, such as TableMountain, AddoElephantPark, or Cape Point. Or the incoming tour operator takes the responsibility for the conditions under which activity-related services are provided. As airlines cannot be certified, the flight is not taken into consideration. As car rental companies are not certified either, the incoming tour operator had to buy a mini-bus in the Limpopoprovince (where the operator is based) and take it to Port Elizabeth– 2,000 km away.

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