Our approach to responsible tourism

Why this matters on safari

A safari depends on wild places staying wild and on the people who live beside them benefiting from visitors. Tanzania's parks and conservation areas protect remarkable ecosystems, and the communities around them share that land with elephants, lions and buffalo every day.

This page sets out the principles we intend to follow. They're commitments, not a list of achievements. Where a practice is still being put in place, we say so.

Respect for wildlife

• Our safaris follow the rules of each national park and conservation area, including opening hours, speed limits and staying on permitted roads.
• We ask guides to keep a respectful distance at sightings, to switch off engines where appropriate and to move on when animals show signs of stress.
• We won't crowd a sighting or block an animal's path for a better photograph.
• We don't offer activities that involve handling wild animals or feeding them.

[NEEDS: confirm the guide briefing or code of conduct used for wildlife viewing]

Fair treatment for the people who make a safari work

Guides, drivers, camp staff and, on Kilimanjaro, porters and cooks are at the heart of every trip. We intend to work with people and suppliers who treat them fairly.

[NEEDS: confirm staff and guide employment terms, pay practices and training]

[NEEDS: confirm porter welfare standards for any Kilimanjaro climbs, if climbs are offered]

Cultural visits on the community's terms

Visits to Maasai villages, or to Hadzabe and Datoga communities around Lake Eyasi, can be arranged where possible. We want these visits to be welcomed by the people being visited, to pay them fairly and to avoid treating anyone as a spectacle. Ask before photographing people, and accept a no.

[NEEDS: confirm the community partners for cultural visits and how payments reach the community]

Less waste, less impact

• We encourage refillable water bottles instead of single-use plastic, and ask travellers to pack without plastic carrier bags, which Tanzania has banned.
• We favour lodges and camps that manage water, energy and waste carefully.
• We plan routes that avoid unnecessary driving, which also makes for better safari days.

[NEEDS: confirm how lodges and camps are assessed for environmental practice]

[NEEDS: confirm any carbon measurement, reduction or offsetting approach; publish nothing until it is in place]

Supporting conservation

Park and conservation fees fund the protection of the places you visit. Beyond that, we intend to support local conservation work in a way we can describe honestly.

[NEEDS: confirm any conservation partners or contributions]

What you can do

• Travel at a pace that lets you stay longer in fewer places.
• Follow your guide's lead at sightings and in camp.
• Dress respectfully in villages and in Stone Town on Zanzibar.
• Buy crafts directly from the people who make them where you can.
• Tip the people who looked after you; see our travel information for how tipping usually works.

If you have questions about any of this, contact us or mention it when you plan your safari.