Released 10 November 2026
The Long Run is delighted to announce that two more members, HBD Príncipe and Saruni Basecamp, have earned Global Ecosphere Retreat® (GER®) certification, marking an important milestone in their journeys toward excellence in sustainable tourism. Both hold gravitas due to the magnitude of change required across HBD’s significant workforce and the number of camps in Saruni Basecamp’s group portfolio.
The Long Run celebrated both announcements at its Annual Members’ Meeting at Castle Leslie Estate in Ireland from 1st– 4th November 2026, where over 50 members gathered from around the globe to share insights and shape the way forward for those operating on the frontline of nature conservation and tourism. GER® certification is a significant achievement, recognising nature-based tourism businesses that demonstrate excellence across The Long Run’s 4Cs framework: Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce. The independently verified standard assesses businesses against 125 criteria, requiring evidence of meaningful action and tangible impacts across all four areas using documented systems and processes.
HBD Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
An ecotourism and agroforestry business with a vision for sustainable social and economic development on Príncipe Island, HBD Príncipe, with its nearly 700 team members, employees and colleagues, is deeply committed to protecting the island’s extraordinary natural and cultural heritage. HBD Príncipe combines responsible hospitality, with its five distinctive boutique hotel properties known as the Príncipe Collection, with conservation, organic agriculture, community development and a portfolio of in-house operations. Working alongside local government and communities, the organisation has played an important role in supporting the protection of Príncipe’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its initiatives span the 4Cs of sustainability and include safeguarding endemic bird species, supporting sea turtle conservation, leading nature-focused guest experiences, growing organic cacao, spearheading recycling with the island’s communities and creating employment, training and educational opportunities for island residents.
Emma Tuzinkiewicz, Sustainability Director at HBD Príncipe, explains: “The Global Ecosphere Retreat® standard is exceptionally rigorous. What makes it different is that it is not just about the sustainability department or the environmental performance of your operations. It looks at the entire business. At its core, the journey to becoming a GER®-certified member of The Long Run is actually a journey towards operational excellence. If you want sustainability to become part of how you operate, this is the way to do it. It is a nature-based business roadmap.”
Bringing together a collection of 13 safari camps and lodges across Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Samburu regions, Saruni Basecamp is a pioneer of community-based conservation and responsible safari tourism and the world’s first GER® certified group. Working in partnership with indigenous Maasai and Samburu communities, its model places local people at the heart of wildlife conservation, ensuring that tourism generates tangible benefits for both communities and the landscapes they call home. Operating across six community-owned conservancies, Saruni Basecamp works closely with local landowners to protect wildlife habitats, support livelihoods, and preserve cultural heritage. Its approach demonstrates how responsible tourism can provide a sustainable economic incentive for conservation while creating meaningful opportunities for local communities.
Chief Executive Officer Jeremiah Mutisya commented, “We are incredibly proud to have cultivated a culture of sustainability across all 13 of our camps in Kenya, both at Masai Mara and Samburu, backed by our partnership with the six wildlife community conservancies. Miriam, our COO has led the charge and been instrumental in motivating our teams on the ground to adopt, embrace, live and breathe the systems implemented to manifest this GER® milestone and ensure we are all singing from the same sustainability hymn sheet. Every single camp had to achieve all 125 benchmarks - so we are delighted to have accomplished this mighty feat as the first group GER® member.”
Together, these two new GER® members further strengthen The Long Run’s global community of purpose-driven tourism businesses, demonstrating the different ways in which tourism can contribute to protecting biodiversity, supporting local livelihoods and safeguarding cultural heritage.
Dr Anne-Kathrin Zschiegner, Executive Director of The Long Run, said:
“Congratulations to both HBD Príncipe and the Saruni Basecamp group on achieving our GER® status, demonstrating their inspiring commitment to putting people and nature at the heart of their businesses. Our certification is a wonderful recognition of the work they have undertaken to achieve meaningful, measurable impact. Achieving this milestone requires dedication, transparency and a genuine commitment to continuous improvement, and also strengthens our collective ambition to prove and showcase how tourism can be a powerful force for good.”
The Long Run was founded on the belief that tourism can be a powerful driver of positive change. Through its 4Cs framework, it supports a global community of nature-based tourism businesses to balance conservation, community, culture and commerce, creating a future in which both people and nature can thrive.
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For any further enquiries, please contact Rosie Stubbs, rosie@thelongrun.com
Images can be downloaded here.
