Our Planet, Wildlife and People
Responsible Tourism in Tanzania
All our team here at Specialist Tanzania care with a passion for the future of our amazing planet, its wildlife and its people. We are an ethical organisation that adheres to the principles of responsible tourism and sustainable travel, fair trade, business ethics and corporate social responsibility. We recognise that our responsibility extends to all interested parties to this business including not only our customers and local partners, but also local host communities, our planet, its wildlife and nature.
Our Local Partners in Tanzania
Specialist Tanzania works in close partnership with several locally owned and managed companies in Tanzania. We feel this approach has a more direct benefit on the local distribution of income from tourism. We support and fully endorse the recruitment and training of local guides, local group tour managers, drivers and representation staff. Rather than avoiding certain National Parks to minimise National Park entrance fees included in holiday prices, we prefer to include them as this revenue goes towards maintaining and improving wildlife conservation and management in Tanzania.
Employing Local Safari Guides & Leaders
With our guiding principle of employing local people wherever possible our guests see a direct benefit in the improved local knowledge of our local team, whether that be knowledge of flora, fauna, history or just general Tanzanian life. Through this approach we can also maximise the amount of your tourism revenue that is delivered directly into the heart of the local economy, whilst at the same time providing our guests with a holiday which is fully financially protected by our bonding schemes and insurance cover.
Kilimanjaro Porter Welfare and Partnership with KPAP
Porters on Kilimanjaro have an arduous job – they carry the clothing and equipment, rucksacks, food, water and utensils of climbers, as well as their own clothing and camping equipment. We are keen to ensure that the porters that work for us are treated fairly by senior crew members as well as climbers. In this regard Specialist Tanzania fully supports the work of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and is an official partner of IMEC’s ‘Partnership for Responsible Travel’. As an initiative of the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC), KPAP exist solely for the purpose of improving the working conditions of the porters climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Promoting Responsible Tourism
Specialist Tanzania is also determined to do what we can to help minimise any negative impacts on the environmental, wildlife and cultural welfare of Tanzania through promoting responsible visitor behaviour; promoting waste reduction; facilitating cultural exchange between guests and local communities; supporting local businesses, goods and services; encouraging guests to eat local foods rather than imported foods; encouraging the conservation of natural resources like electricity and water; and promoting the importance of protecting the local environment and nature.
Our Commitment to Saving Energy
In 1992, the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro highlighted, for the first time, the real threat of climate change on a global scale. The following year, the UK Government established The Energy Saving Trust and set a target for reducing UK emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, by 20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2010. The Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation, funded both by government and the private sector. Almost half of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions come from energy we use every day - at home and when we travel. By saving energy we can all help prevent climate change.
In response to the threat of climate change and to help preserve the places that matter most to us, each of us at Specialist Tanzania has made a personal commitment to save 20% of the energy we use.
Our offices and other responsible initiatives
Each of our team makes an effort to recycle as much plastic, cans, paper, bottles, cardboard, printer cartridges and batteries as possible. We use scrap paper for making written notes and as a virtual business strive for a paperless working environment. We purchase fair trade products as a matter of course. We ensure computers and monitors are turned off after work and prefer to wear cosy fleeces rather than turn-up the heating. Each of our team is home-based so has no need to commute by car, bus or train. Where possible we choose to walk or cycle rather than use motorised transport. If we do have to drive we always make an effort to car-share where appropriate.
In Partnership with Friends of Conservation (FOC)
Friends of Conservation (FOC) is an international conservation organisation, with over 25 years operational experience in the field. Formed in the early 1980’s in response to the poaching which was decimating species, particularly rhino, FOC’s protection programmes in Kenya’s renowned Masai Mara National Reserve, helped halt the decline and restored the rhino population to more viable levels. FOC continues to work with communities living outside the Reserve today, to encourage sustainable use of natural resources whilst preserving wildlife and habitat. 
Their activities and those of their partners, include the following areas:
» Wildlife and habitat protection » Environmental programmes » Anti-poaching campaigns » Wildlife monitoring » Human/wildlife conflict management » Fuel efficiency and reforestation » Carbon-reduction projects » Promoting sustainable tourism
Carbon Reduction
Carbon Reduction
Carbon Reduction
Carbon Reduction
Recognising the many benefits that tourism brings to countries, we offer travellers the opportunity to compensate towards the environmental impact of their flights by supporting projects which aims to reduce levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). These involve renewable fuels, land acquisition/protection and reforestation programmes whilst offering many other advantages for local communities too.
All of the money donated will go to the project specified. To find out more about how you can help, please visit: Friends of Conservation.
