Source Ethiopia Tours Travelife Sustainability Report ( 2023)

Source Ethiopia Tours Travellife Sustainability Report 2023
Mission Statement
Our aim is promote sustainable business in travel and tourism sector. We also work towards mitigating the negative social and environmental impacts of tourism. Moreover, Source Ethiopia Tours is committed to communicate sustainability issues across the value chain with our partners and clients.
Updates until 2023
Since the Travellife partner award, Source Ethiopia Tours, continued to exercise sustainability practices although tour operation business slowed down because of Covid 19 and the situation in the country. The following topics are some of the areas where we took some actions:
1. Social Collaboration:
As a local consultant working for CBI, I co-facilitated Sustainable Destination Management training to regional tourism experts. As part of the training, I led practical learning session to the nearby Community Based Tourism initiative and national parks. During this practical trip, I shared with the warders of the national park issues related to sustainability and demonstrated collection of plastic bottles and others.
Moreover, the company’s sustainability coordinator participated in the design of Occupational Standard (OS) and curriculum for tourism related occupations organized by tourism training institute. We also contributed a donation to drought affected areas of the country because of shortage of rain fall organized by the Federal Ministry of Tourism.
2. Partnership with accommodation
At the beginning of the program, Travelife participating Tour Operators decided to approach accommodation institutions together on the issue of sustainable partnership and at this point in time, we have at least confirmation email.
3. Communication
Source Ethiopia Tours is developing draft Travelife report (2023) that is going to be shared both with the staff and the public. One of the channel to share the draft report is company website and meeting with staff over lunch.
4. Personal development
Recently, as Sustainable Coordinator, I participated in webinar on “regenerative tourism" and learned that we should destinations in better conditions that we found them. I found it one step ahead of sustainable tourism. Moreover, I attended a webinar on opportunities in European Wellness Tourism. One of the unique selling point for Source Ethiopia Tours is offering authentic cooking class and traditional coffee ceremony and during the webinar, we learned that culinary experience is part of Wellness Tourism.
5. Monitoring and evaluation
Source Ethiopia Tours sustainability coordinator conducted monitoring and evaluation with the staff both at the field and main office via phone calls and emails