The Vineyard Hotel gets Fair Trade Tourism certification

Fair Trade Tourism is a non-profit organisation that promotes responsible tourism in southern Africa and beyond, by ensuring that the people who contribute their land, resources, labour and knowledge to tourism are the ones who reap the benefits.

Ongoing journey

While the hotel has been promoting sustainable practices throughout all areas of its operations since 2007, under its 'Living Green' banner, the FTT certification is another step in the hotel's ongoing journey to be a more environmentally conscious property. Some of the initiatives currently under way include solar panels on the roof of the fitness centre, which go towards powering the conference centre, and an award-winning on-site recycling programme.

To achieve Fair Trade Tourism certification businesses need to undergo a stringent independent audit similar to that required for Fairtrade product certification. Chris van Zyl, Group Environmental Manager and Horticulturist, said: "The independent auditor conducted various site inspections and meetings with the health-and-safety committee and numerous workers, discussing everything from contracts and payslips to the policy around tipping. Through this process we have learned that FTT is as much about taking care of our environment, as it is taking care of our team. The hotel is proud to have formalised its commitment to fair and responsible tourism and is now part of a select group of 21 establishments and tour operators in the Western Cape FTT family."