Responsible Tourism Policy

CAPE CAPERS TOURS CC
VOLUNTEER ACCESS.

Preamble

We are committed to continue the struggle against inherited poverty and deprivation left behind by the Apartheid Policies of the past, by spreading the benefits of Tourism to previously disadvantaged communities in the Townships and on the Cape Flats.

We will share our skills and knowledge, by connecting communities with opportunities, funding, facilitation and volunteers.

We will build itineraries to include local enterprises in craft, food and hospitality. As well as Social-Support projects and Environmental Resources Centers.

Our specific policies with regards to Social, Economic and Environmental Responsibility are as follows.

Social Responsibility.

1. To respect local customs and traditions:

  • tourists to dress modestly-avoid large amounts of very visible, expensive jewellery.
  • not to pat young children on the head, which means bad luck-stunted growth

2. To include on our tours, projects that work in the areas of health and education.

  • the Love Life Center -Youth Development and awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS
  • Volunteering- Providing volunteers to High Schools, Self-help Housing Schemes and work-place skills development for job-creation and running of small business.

3. To include regular stops on our tours, to ensure social interaction between local people and visitors.

  • Community Centers
  • Schools
  • Pubs and Shebeens
  • Walking Tours through communities-with their permission.
  • To facilitate the further training of local guides to become Registered Provincial guides-through mentorship and funding.

4. To employ only registered Tourist Guides, to provide on-going training in the way we conduct our tours, and to re-emphasis our Responsible tourism Policy. Where possible, such tourist guides to be sourced and developed from the townships.

5. To pay employees better than market rates, as well as incentives for maintaining our ethos of High Professionalism and Responsible Tourism.

6. To connect local people with funding and facilitation that exists in the mainstream- for the training of tourist guides (Tourist Guides Registrar) and the establishment of guest houses and small businesses(Department of Economic Development and Tourism)

7. To facilitate the placement of Volunteers at schools, social and environmental projects, who assist in capacity building and supplementary support.

8. Include in our tours a 10-minute presentation by the Siyasaga Township Theatre group – where story-telling is themed on…

  • traditional values and culture
  • challenges such as crime and HIV/Aids.
  • The history of local people in a political and contemporary sense. The play-Isandulela-The Dawn, the story of an old person on the day of our first National Election on 27 April 1994.

The theatre experience adds value and understanding by visitors of local customs, aspirations and challenges. Whilst providing an income to sustain the project.

Economic Responsibiliy.

1. To share the benefits we derive from selling and conducting tours within communities by engaging in the following…

  • Make a monetary contribution to all projects visited- from the tour price.
  • Include in our tours, service providers at which our tour groups will spend money- food and beverages, art and craft, and accommodation.
  • Spend a percentage of our income on Student Development- we take students of Langa High School for excursions to Museums, tourist sites, the University and other places that is outside of the environment of Township children.(This is in addition to those excursions paid for by Volunteers)
  • Place Volunteers with local home-stays, who receive an income from providing meals and accommodation.

Environmental Responsibility

  • Regular servicing of all our vehicles- to reduce harmful emissions.
  • All our vehicles are equipped with a refuse bag, for safe disposal when vehicles are in the wash bay at night.
  • Advise and ensure that tourists use designated pathways in parks and gardens, not to collect seeds and pluck flowers and shrubs, and not to feed animals.
  • To encourage local people to use litter bins, and to make use of enviro center for free or affordable plants, shrubs, grass and compost- The Tsoga Enviro Center in Langa.

Last up-date
26 August 2006.