Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, GER® Member of The Long Run, was recognised at the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017 at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. Grootbos won the award for the Best Accommodation.

The prestigious Awards are presented annually at WTM London – in front of an audience of 600 key industry influencers and decision makers – and is the focal point of WTM Responsible Tourism Day which is the biggest responsible tourism event globally.

This year’s Awards, that took place on World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday, 8 November, focused on tourism’s contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Grootbos Forest Lodge also won Best Marine Safari Experience at The Safari Awards.

The Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is a luxury lodge on 6,177 acres of pristine Cape fynbos on the Agulhas plains of the Western Cape of South Africa. The ethos and commitment of Grootbos to responsible tourism and sustainability practices, permeates all levels of the organisation. Together with it’s non-profit partner, the Grootbos Foundation, Grootbos works to drive conservation, local enterprise development and the wellbeing of the local communities. Together, Grootbos and the Grootbos Foundation positively benefitted more than 10 000 lives in the last financial year.

In it’s ongoing efforts to effectively address sustainability, Grootbos has collated four years of data into a sustainability dashboard management tool. The various line items reflect the Green House Gas Protocol reporting standards to a Scope 3 level. This consistent measurement has informed commercial and operational decision-making processes.

Sean Ingles, General Manager of the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, “The principles of sustainability, transparency, respect and above all PROGRESSIVE TOURISM is a fundamental part of the Grootbos DNA. We work tirelessly to follow these guidelines in every aspect of our business whether it be in our conservation efforts, our community outreach programmes or in the lodges themselves.”