The WTM Africa event is a three-day programme that hosts the Responsible Tourism Africa Conference and Responsible Tourism Awards. This year the event will be hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 3-5 April, along with an additional Sustainability Village.
Picture: GettyImages
The Sustainability Village will be a walk-through hub with pop-up interactive exhibits. The exhibitors will showcase environmental and social solutions that they can offer businesses.
One such exhibitor will be Growing Paper, a company that manufactures 100% recycled, biodegradable, and plantable paper products. Attendees can take a sample of the paper home and plant it. If the attendees think they won’t plant the sample, they can leave it when they exit the village, and these samples will all be planted in a community garden. Local residents will be able ‘to start and nurture a sustainable food source for their families,’ according to the Planner Guru.
Another exhibitor participating in the Sustainability Village is E’Yako Green, according to Tourism Updates. Company owner Carey Moran said, ‘We love the opportunity to create functional bags and other items out of pre-used materials and to share our work at WTM Africa. We hope we can play a role in inspiring companies and teams to feel, think and live the art and business of sustainable tourism.’
Guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the event organiser RX Global took a Sustainability Pledge. They committed to reducing negative environmental impacts and researching ways to contribute to sustainable development. ‘The launch of the Sustainability Village follows’ this pledge, and attendees are encouraged to sign a similar pledge when visiting the village.
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