It is the fifth consecutive year that a Gondwana Collection Namibia property has reached the final round of the Responsible Tourism Awards (RTA) and the second time to win the award.
Canyon Village scooped the prestigious award in the Accommodation Establishment category. The winners were announced yesterday (4 November 2020) at the Namibia Tourism Expo in Windhoek. A specific topic is selected each year, which is in line with the topic of the Tourism Expo. This year’s topic and therefore focus was on sustainable energy.
Sadly, there was no selection of in the tour operator category for 2020, but it will occur once again next year. The finalists for the accommodation establishment category were Huab under Canvas from Ultimate Safaris, Hoanib Skeleton Coast from Wilderness Safaris and Canyon Village from Gondwana Collection Namibia. Hats off to all of these establishments for being finalists. All three received 100% in the sustainable energy section of the Eco Awards assessment.
This year's race for the coveted award was decided on the basis of interviews with lodge employees, during which the assessors were able to gain an impression of the employees’ level of knowledge regarding the use of alternative energies. Congratulations to Canyon Village, its team leaders and employees.
Canyon Village lies at the foot of a sweeping rock face in Gondwana Canyon Park, the famous Fish River Canyon is just 20 km away. Well-appointed cottages in the Cape Dutch style afford views of the vast canyon scenery. Dozens of murals depict the history and culture of the Bondelswart Nama, the earlier inhabitants of this area. Like almost all Gondwana properties the Canyon Village is equipped with a solar- and a water treatment system. The gardens have largely been planted with indigenous trees, shrubs and succulents that thrive on small amounts of water. Social responsibility and waste recycling are also very important. In-house training for the team of the company include courses to promote environmental awareness.
Namibia Media Holdings is the organiser of the Responsible Tourism Awards for sustainability in the tourism sector and maintains a close cooperation with Eco Awards Namibia. One requirement for the participation in the RTA is a recent Eco Award assessment with a good or very good rating. The Namib Desert Lodge was assessed in 2017 and set new standards with excellent results. The Gondwana lodge achieved the maximum score (100%) in terms of conservation and guiding, energy, water, staff and health, legal and NTB compliance as well as further excellent scores.
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