Cape Town is making strides in sustainability, accessible and inclusive travel. This year’s WTM (World Travel Market) Africa, held in Cape Town in April, delved into these topics, with key industry players applauding and offering input on how the destination can embrace responsible tourism.
Some of these experts included the founder of Able2Travel, Tarryn Tomlinson; Managing Director of Afrigay Travel, Michael Gladwin; and Group Brand Manager for Jewelvest, Aimee Lentz. Many of the panel experts during the WTM Africa sessions shared the same sentiments: Cape Town has the potential to become a top sustainable, accessible, and inclusive destination.
Here are some key takeaways from WTM Africa 2023:
Accessibility
The conversation on accessibility brought many ‘aha’ moments for visitors. Despite the city’s inclusiveness, the industry felt more could be done to make it a more welcoming place.
One of the key take outs during the Inclusive Travel: How to do it right session was how tech was changing the face of accessibility and how businesses needed to be inclusive when designing future projects.
Read more about our wheelchair-friendly attractions here: www.capetown.travel/wheelchair-friendly-attractions-in-cape-town/
Sustainability
WTM Africa hosted the Responsible Tourism Africa Conference and Responsible Tourism Awards.
These annual awards highlight and promote the best practices in sustainability and responsibility in the tourism industry. The aim is to promote good practice and showcase pioneering projects that focus on the wellbeing and sustainability of tourism while caring for the people and landscapes that make the industry thrive.
This year’s show also introduced the Sustainability Village, a unique walk-through hub that featured a variety of eco-focused pop-up exhibitors, each showcasing what they do through interactive displays and their part in community and sustainable development.
The launch of the Sustainability Village follows a sustainability pledge from the show’s event organiser RX Global. The UN Sustainable Development Goals guide RX Global’s Sustainability Pledge.
The pop-up exhibitions included Painted Wolf Wines, How Many Elephants, E’Yako Green, Uthando, and many more.
Growing Paper, which specialises in 100% recycled plantable and biodegradable handcrafted paper products, not only featured a pop-up in the Sustainability Village but was behind the event’s veggie seed badge holders handed to guests.
LGBTQ+
Cape Town Tourism launched the Go All Out campaign at WTM Africa, which targets LGBTQ+ travellers on a global scale and gives them access to a city that’s truly inclusive.
The campaign aims to recruit members and partners who are interested to join and host a series of LGBTQ+ sensitivity and awareness training workshops. Once completed, these partners will become part of the Love Cape Town Club, where strategic and collaborative campaigns will be afforded to them so that they can promote themselves to the LGBTQ+ market.
Various sessions delved into the LGBTQ+ traveller. Some of the topics included 8 steps to true allyship, expanding LGBTQ+ tourism in Africa, and how to connect with LGBTQ+ travellers beyond Pride. For more information on what WTM Africa is doing globally, visit www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb.html
