Preserving The Future: The Importance Of Sustainable Safari Travel

Across the vast expanse of Africa’s wilderness, where golden savannahs extend across the horizon and mighty rivers cascade through ancient landscapes, sits a wonderful trove of biodiversity and cultural heritage that is just waiting to be explored. Yet, while the spellbinding beauty of this continent is there for all to see, a difficult balance is constantly needed to be struck, with natural wonders increasingly coming under threat from both human activity and climate change.

To help combat external threats the concept of sustainable safari travel emerges as a shining light to help provide hope for the future and give rise to enhanced global and regional awareness of sustainable travel as a whole.

But in reality, sustainable safari travel should not merely be considered a trend. It’s a necessity in safeguarding Africa’s natural habitats and cultural riches for generations to come.

At Niarra Travel, our three guiding sustainability pillars are community and culture, conservation and carbon footprint. With these in mind we have sought to outline the importance of sustainable safari travel, what we can do to help, and trends to consider for the future.

As we well know, Africa is home to some of the world’s most iconic and revered wildlife species. From the majesty of its famous big cats to the kaleidoscopic beauty of its birdlife, Africa hosts not only some of the most impressive beasts on the planet, but some of the most diverse as well.

Think of wonderful animals such as the kudu, nyala, oryx and critically endangered African wild dogs. Perhaps not the greatest household names, but their presence enriches this vast tapestry of wildlife on the continent and underpins their vital role within their ecosystems and the importance of preserving their future.

Unfortunately, all too common threats, such as poaching and habitat loss, have negatively impacted these environments over the years, and now more than ever change is needed to ensure their survival. By seeking out and choosing sustainable safari experiences, travellers can directly contribute to assisting and preserving these species and the places they call home.

Through our partnerships with local conservation organisations and anti-poaching initiatives, we work tirelessly to ensure sustainable safaris play a key role in the future of travel and help reverse any negative impacts of the past. But for us, it's not just our partnerships and groundwork that are seeking to impact change. It’s also very much about raising awareness of sustainable safaris for future travellers and striving to educate those that may not be aware of the environmental impact that purely profit-driven travel can have.

Beyond the extraordinary wildlife and natural wonders, Africa boasts a rich history of culture and tradition. Sustainable safari travel seeks to celebrate and respect these traditions while providing a platform for people to embrace the culture and engage with local communities.

Be it through immersive experiences, visiting local villages or participating in community-led initiatives, sustainable safaris seek to provide an understanding and appreciation of community traditions. It also seeks to promote integration and a cross-cultural understanding while aiming to help these traditions thrive for future generations.

While sustainable safari travel seeks to promote best practices and preserve travel for future generations, the environmental footprint of tourism cannot be ignored. This is especially important in ecologically sensitive areas such as national parks and wildlife reserves.

However, what can be done to help minimise these environmental impacts? Reducing carbon footprint by undertaking actions that outweigh your impact is a start, but meaningful change requires more. Below are just some of the initiatives that sustainable safari travel seeks to promote. These can help raise awareness, foster change and promote progressive sustainability practices for the future.

• Eco-friendly lodges

• Renewable energy usage

• Low-impact safari vehicles

• Waste reduction strategies

• Ethically sourced produce

• Water conservation

• Sustainable land management practices

All of the above are important components of sustainable safari travel, all carefully designed to minimise the impact of travel on the African continent. While steps have been taken, it’s important that we do not settle here. Instead we need to seek to consistently innovate and improve so that travellers can experience the wonders of Africa's wilderness and stunning natural environments without compromising its ecological integrity.

Partnership. This has always been a key driver of our initiatives of sustainable safari travel and forms a large part of one of our sustainability pillars ‘Community & Culture’.

By working in partnership with local communities that live in and around wildlife, we seek to support the socio-economic needs of the community. This includes some of the initiatives below that form part of our approach through closely forged relationships.

• Employment of local guides

• Community-owned lodges and infrastructure

• Supporting small-scale enterprise

• Working with sustainable safari operators

• Creating opportunity for empowerment

• Supporting local development projects

The key driver for empowering local communities is to ensure that these initiatives are not purely focused on alleviating poverty. Longer term, these partnerships and focus areas seek to foster a sense of ownership and pride within communities with a spotlight on promoting local enterprise and ensuring future generations thrive and work more closely and collaboratively with travel operators.

A catalyst for this process can be achieved through funnelling revenue from tourism directly back into the local communities. Over the long term, this activity ensures the benefits of tourism are shared and contribute to the growth and long-term wellbeing of locals.

In essence, sustainable safari travel is not just about money or sustainable practices. It’s about becoming an active voice and participant in Africa’s conservation and preservation. It requires a plethora of active participants as well as authenticity and community empowerment. But ultimately, more than anything, it requires the end user of travel to play their part by choosing a travel partner that prioritises sustainable safari travel to preserve these wonderful lands for future generations to explore. Choose wisely and let your safari experience be a tribute and nod to the transformative power of sustainable travel.

At Niarra Travel, we specialise in offering travel that prioritises a positive impact alongside unforgettable experiences. If you are looking to book a sustainable safari experience or would like to learn more about why conservation holidays are the future of travel. get in touch with our expert travel team on +44 (0) 20 3821 5994 (UK), +1 (833) 215 9353 (US) or at explore@niarratravel.com.