Maropeng – devoted to responsible tourism

Maropeng believes strongly in promoting and adhering to the principles underlying responsible tourism. As a World Heritage Site, Maropeng does all it can to minimise its impact on the environment, as well as educate its visitors about sustainability and the importance of taking care of our planet.

As the word’s resources are depleted and globalisation puts a strain on developing communities and their economies, it is becoming more and more important for tourism to play a bigger role in finding sustainable solutions to these challenges.

Jennifer Seif, executive director of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), is set to address the second World Green Tourism Conference, in Abu Dhabi, at the end of the year. She plans to use South Africa as a prime example of a responsible tourism destination.

Seif believes that high resource consumption and competition over natural resources are common challenges faced by both the Middle East’s and South Africa’s tourism industries, and that the Middle East can learn valuable lessons from us.

FTTSA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to alerting consumers to environmentally and socially responsible travel options. It believes in unifying the public, private and civil society sectors towards boosting local communities, small business initiatives and the environment.

Maropeng upholds a strict environmental policy aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and developing new ways of conserving energy and South Africa’s natural resources.

Managing director of Maropeng, Tony Rubin, says that there are a number of things Maropeng is doing to be responsible. “Our exhibition teaches people about the ills of not following a responsible, sustainable lifestyle. Our wetlands purify our grey and black water to the point where it can be used for irrigation and to water livestock. Our waste is separated and only a small amount is disposed of – the rest is sent for recycling,” explains Rubin.

“The world is becoming more and more aware of the need to ensure sustainability, and the importance of having a positive carbon footprint rather than a negative carbon footprint. If Maropeng doesn’t adhere to this, we can’t expect our guests to. We need to leave a legacy for our children and our grandchildren’s children.”

From careful recycling and consistently making sure the area is waste-free, to water conservation technology and training staff in the ways of being eco-friendly, Maropeng is proudly green and an ambassador for responsible tourism in South Africa.