The conversation around sustainable tourism in Africa is evolving beyond traditional concepts of conservation and community support. At Essence of Africa in Nairobi, industry leaders gathered to explore how tourism businesses can move from simply ‘giving back’ to creating true partnerships that transform both communities and conservation efforts.
Moving Beyond Traditional Models
“We need to move away from giving back because as they say, give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him lifetime… Why don’t we work together as stakeholders?” challenged Mohammed Hersi, Group Director of Operations at Pollmans Tours & Safaris. This sentiment set the tone for a discussion that would challenge conventional thinking about tourism’s role in African communities.
From Sustainability to Syntropy
Moderator Jan Hutton introduced a powerful new concept to frame the discussion: “We need to move beyond sustainability, which merely maintains, and even regeneration, which fixes what’s broken. We should aim for syntropy – ensuring our tourism sector actively serves wildlife, serves communities, and delivers direct benefits.”
Innovative Business Models
One of the most striking examples of sustainable business innovation came from Mohanjeet Brar, Managing Director of Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps. “If we want to put up 10 rooms, we have to lease 7,000 acres of community habitat, and the business has to pay to lease it and pay to manage that conservancy,” he explained. This model directly links tourism development with habitat conservation and community benefit.
The Role of Communities in Conservation
Brar emphasized a crucial reality of African conservation: “There is no conservation without communities.” He noted that in Kenya, 60-70% of wildlife exists outside national parks on community lands, highlighting the essential role of local communities in wildlife preservation.
Economic Multiplication Through Tourism
Amos Wekesa, CEO of Great Lakes Safaris, provided a powerful illustration of tourism’s economic multiplier effect through a simple cup of coffee: “If three million tourists enter, an average tourist would take about two cups of coffee… One kilo of coffee can give you between 120 to 140 cups of coffee… that means that one kilo of coffee was actually sold for between $120 to $140 dollars.” This example demonstrates how tourism can dramatically increase the value of local products.
Demographic Urgency
The discussion highlighted the pressing demographic context driving the need for sustainable development. As Mohanjeet pointed out, “70% of Africa is below 30. The median age in Kenya is 19… We cannot maintain things the way they are. We have to really drive positive change.”
Environmental Challenges
The panel also addressed the immediate environmental challenges facing the industry. Mohanjeet described the current climate reality: “These are our short rains. We should be getting short rains. We’re actually having very heavy rains… what we’re having is actually a double impact. We’re having the issue of climate change, and then we’re having human-caused massive challenges.”
The Opportunity Ahead
With Africa currently attracting just 3.5% of global international arrivals, the panel identified an enormous opportunity for growth – but only if it’s done right. The focus must be on development that benefits both communities and conservation efforts, creating a sustainable model for the future.