Responsible Tourism

Our operations in the safari industry were sparked by our passion for Africa: we still love the continent, its wildlife and its people. We recognize our responsibility to ensure that our activities as a tour operator enhance the environment of the places we go, protecting the natural environment that shelters Africa's wildlife and preserving the way of life of the people who call those areas home. Our intention is to maximize the benefits that tourism brings to each area, and we always aim to act responsibly in all our dealings, especially when they relate to environmental, social and economic issues.

Africa
The lodges and small camps we work with in Africa all understand that, in the long term, their continued existence depends on interacting with their environment in a responsible way. They all work to protect their local areas, taking care of flora, fauna and landscapes, but also work with local communities, schools, healthcare facilities and community projects. Providing such concrete help to local residents is essential to maintain the community support that is so vital to help protect Africa's natural heritage.

These camps and lodges go about their community projects quietly, without boasting. If you'd like to know more, just ask your lodge manager or owner during the course of your visit: they will always be delighted to talk through what they do and often show you around the schools and clinics they have personally established. We would call it charitable work: they often see it simply as their responsibility to use the revenue from tourism to give something back to their local communities.

Tidworth & Scotland
Our working practices are in constant review in both our Tidworth and Edinburgh offices: "Responsible Operation" is an agenda point at each staff meeting to encourage new ideas. We constantly strive to reduce the resources we use. We reuse scrap paper and recycle as much of our waste as possible. We don't print new brochures every year and our newsletters are only sent out on request.

We also encourage our clients to travel responsibly, and our pre-departure information packs contain information on how to minimize your impact on the African environment and maximize the benefits that can flow from every journey.

Aardvark is pleased to have been awarded a 3* award by AITO, the prestigious Association of Independent Tour Operators, for our achievements in responsible tourism.

Koiyaki
We are proud supporters of the Koiyaki Guide School in the Masai Mara in Kenya as are some of our clients. As a company we have sponsored the fees for a student in each of the school years 2005-6, 2006-7 and 2008-9. We were delighted to see the first two students graduate and to go on to find work in camps in the Mara; we hope this year's student has equal success. In 2007-8 our donation helped train rangers within the Koiyaki Wildlife Associations.

John Loveland in the UK donated binoculars to Aardvark and with the help of our clients heading out to the Masai Mara we have managed to supply a pair to every graduating student for the last three years. Aardvark director John Spence, along with friends Paul O'Halloran and Dan Compton, undertook a sponsored cycle race on Mount Kenya to raise funds to pay teacher's salaries.

Further contributions to the Koiyaki Guide School have come from clients. If you'd like to know more about Koiyaki, or to find out how you can help personally, please visit their website on www.koiyaki.com  

International League for the Protection of Horses
Aardvark's Edinburgh office handles donations made by our many clients who take riding safaris in Africa, which it hands to the ILPH to support their work in the rehabilitation and medical care of abused and neglected horses.