Since Cape Town won the Virgin Holidays award for Responsible Tourism in 2009, Capetonians have prided themselves on their environmentally conscious behaviour. In an effort to support and encourage eco-friendly habits, Cape Town proudly celebrates Responsible Tourism Week, taking place this year from 11 – 17 February 2013.
What is Responsible Tourism Week, you ask? It is a time when the country calls focus to the beautiful world we live in today, and how we as a nation should be living a sustainable lifestyle. Responsible Tourism Week aims to instil a sense of pride in South Africans in order to create better places for people to live in (and visit), make positive contributions to natural and cultural heritage, and involve locals in participating in responsible travel and tourism. The theme for this year’s event is “Redo, Re-Imagine and Remix”.
Cape Town will celebrate this year’s Responsible Tourism Week in a variety of eco-friendly and educational activities. For starters, on Friday 15 February 2013, 60 community members will travel on a MyCiti bus to Table Bay Nature Reserve to enjoy a guided hike and bird watching. After lunch, they will visit Blaauwberg Nature Reserve to appreciate scenic views of Table Mountain and Robben Island from Blaauwberg Hill.
A separate event will be hosted in partnership with Metrorail. 100 learners from Khayelitsha will embark on an educational heritage tour on Friday 15 February 2013. They will be transported by train to Cape Town Station before strolling along the Fan Walk in Green Point. The tour will end with a historical tour of the Prestwich Memorial and Visitor Centre, dedicated to the memory of Cape Town’s slaves and marginalised people from the 18th and 19th centuries.
How can you honour Responsible Tourism Week?
- Travel Smart
Minimise your carbon footprint by using eco-friendly transport systems like the City Sightseeing Bus, the Southern Line Tourism Route train line from Cape Town to Simon’s Town, or the Green Cab, South Africa’s first cost-effective green transport solution that uses BioDiesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. Alternatively, make a change to your daily life by carpooling or using the MyCiti bus and cycle lanes to get to work.
- Shop locally
Ensure the city gets to benefit from your monthly splurges by shopping at locally owned businesses, such as Hemporium in Long Street. Browse markets for handcrafted goods or second hand items at spots like the Montebello Craft and Design Centre in Newlands and Muizenberg Market. You can also purchase a number of eco-friendly and alternative energy products online at The Green Shop (http://www.thegreenshop.co.za) which sources products harnessing solar power, LED lighting, hydrogen power, wind power, and dynamo power. Purchase items like water powered clocks, rechargeable batteries, eco bags, and energy saving light bulbs.
- Eat green
There is no better way to “act green” than by eating all of your healthy greens. Fill your trolley at Fruit and Veg with some fresh fruit and vegetables, or gather some organic products at Hout Bay Organic Market (Hout Bay), Willowbridge Slow Market (Durbanville), Neighbourgoods Market (Woodstock), and the Earth Fair Food Market (Tokai).
- Support a good cause
Lend a hand in the fight against rhino poaching by buying a Rhinose for your car. They are available at CNA stores across South Africa and cost R30 each. You can also purchase them directly from the Rhinose Foundation, with a delivery charge of R100 per box within the country. Place your order at [email protected]
- Stay at an eco-friendly accommodation
Nicorene B&B is situated in Durban, and offers self-catering rooms, flatlets, or backpackers rooms. They strive to reduce their carbon footprint by using 2 solar powered geysers, 2 rain water tanks, having well-insulated rooms, and recycling paper on-site. More info.
El Shaddai is located in Polokwane, and features a choice of backpackers rooms, chalets, camping areas, and safari tents. They use solar heating, abide by a “no chemical” sewerage system policy, and are implementing a recycling depot on site. More info.
Reflections Eco-reserve boasts self-catering chalets in Wilderness. They have an active land rehabilitation programme in place and has cleared 26 hectares of alien vegetation. Each chalet has its own solar geyser and power derived from solar and wind energy. More info.
What will you be doing to celebrate Responsible Tourism Week?
