responsible tourism

Responsible tourism involves providing tourists with an enriching holiday experience, whilst at the same time ensuring that the local people also benefit through training and employment opportunities, access to a ready market for local goods and services and additional social benefits provided through a community-managed fund to be established through the Lodge. You can find out more about this approach to tourism from the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT).

The founders of ZBLS include natives of Zambezia with a strong commitment to the province and its inhabitants. This page provides some examples of how we are supporting community livelihoods through providing jobs, training and trading opportunities with a particular focus on women.

Improving local livelihoods: In order to guide our work aimed at improving the livelihoods of local communities, we undertook a Community Livelihoods Survey to find out how people get by and what are the main problems they face. The most frequently repeated hope expressed by those who took part in the survey was that Tourism will bring jobs and income-generating opportunities for the region.

Jobs for men and women: ZBLS is committed to providing jobs, both for men and women in local communities. During the construction phase, several hundred men and women were employed helping to dig up the land, transport bricks, sand and cement from the tractor to the site, do gardening work, working on the road, and in many other capacities. Over $100,000 went into the local economy in local employment opportunities over the 5-year period of construction.

Training opportunities: Over 50 men and women have received training provided by ZBLS. The training covered key aspects of hotel service, such as cooking, room service, reception work, table service, gardening and English language. Many of those trained have been offered permanent employment as cooks, room service attendants and reception workers.

Supporting local enterprise: Permanent employment opportunities are limited, but there are other ways of helping improve local livelihoods.

Buying local goods and services: Wherever possible, we try to purchase goods locally. For example, we are planning to help local fishermen to establish themselves as associations, so we can buy from them. We are also supporting a local Women’s Pottery Group in Idugo. This year and last year, we provided funding for the group to attend the Zalala Festival where they sold a large number of pots and made a good profit! We have also bought pots from this group as decorations outside the bungalows, in the Lodge gardens and in the restaurant.

We also supported local women's dance troupes to participate in Festivals and provide entertainment for Lodge guests.

Training in credit and business management: The Lodge is supporting 6 Rotating Savings and Credit groups in the two local communities. Through individual savings, group members are able to take out small loans to help them develop small business initiatives. Loan repayment levels, especially among women, have been very good and this activity is greatly appreciated. To date, around $50,000 has been raised by the Lodge to fund this activity. Women take on a bigger share of the care burden in households and are often better at household budget management, so priority has been given to supporting women in this way.

In 2011, the Lodge funded a 5-day intensive Training in Business Management for 30 community members. The training covered: market research, stock keeping, product development, budgeting and accounting. According to feedback provided by several trainees, the training has had a marked impact on local businesses. The Lodge is currently trying to raise funds to fund a second round of training. All donations are kindly welcomed!

The Supinho and Idugo Community Fund
The Lodge is committed to raising funds to help support community projects, such as the School building project, which transformed a local Primary School in the Province, providing 3 new classrooms equipped with chairs and benches in contrast to the condition of the school as seen in the photo below.

The Fund is supported by Donations, as well as 5% of the revenues from accommodation charges.
If you wish to make a donation towards the Supinho and Idugo Community Fund, please contact us!