Uganda has two finalists in the maiden Regenerative Travel Impact Awards which celebrate people and projects that embody the spirit of improving people’s lives, communities and the world around them.
The 2021 Regenerative Travel Impact Awards were announced in April this year.
They are organized by Regenerative Travel, a benefit corporation and online booking platform to a collection of independent boutique eco-luxury hotels and lodges.
This month’s Awards look to inspire changemakers working to solve the biggest challenges and to inspire positive action, booth inside and outside of travel
Through the initiative, the corporation will engage its network to help uncover inspiring examples of initiatives and individuals striving to create abundance for all – fostering a new dawn for travel that is non-extractive, immersive, inclusive, innovative and equitable.
The Awards categories are; Hotelier of the Year, Travel Initiative of the Year, Activist of the Year, People’s Choice and Conservation. The others are; Food and Agriculture, Climate, Education, Health and Wellness, and Community.
Uganda’s Volcanoes Safaris made finalist in the Hotelier of the Year category while The Seeds & Stories project is among finalists in the Community category, which features initiatives that promote equity and honor culture for vibrant, resilient communities.
Regenerative Travel recognized Volcanoes Safaris, the pioneer in great ape tourism in Rwanda and Uganda, for contributing greatly to the conservation work to safeguard the Virunga mountain gorillas and the Kyambura chimpanzees, along with the local communities.
In Uganda, Volcanoes Safaris runs Mount Gahinga Lodge, Bwindi Lodge and Kayambura Gorge Lodge.
The Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project has undertaken a series of activities since 2009 to safeguard the Kyambura Gorge ecosystem. Today, Volcanoes Safaris and Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust are the single largest stakeholders in the Gorge ecosystem after the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.
“Without the intervention of VS and VSPT, the survival of the gorge and chimps would be under severe threat,” a citation by Regenerative Travel reads.
Through these activities and the strategic assembling of four adjoining sites next to the Gorge over the last ten years, the VSPT helps to link Kyambura Gorge Lodge to the local community and promotes sustainable eco-tourism and conservation in one of the most important areas for avian, primate, and wildlife biodiversity in Africa.
The Seeds & Stories project is a community-led regenerative fashion line based in Bigodi, on the edge of Kibale forest national park. All products are handmade by local women in its carbon-neutral workshop, using regenerative plant-based fibres sustainably grown by local farmers.
Seeds & Stories’ production is focused on providing sustainable, meaningful livelihood to local people, conserving the environment, and reviving traditional crafts.
The project is intended to combat environmental degradation and contribute to Bigodi’s environmental regeneration through education and vocational training, helping the population build a circular, self-sufficient, community-based economy.
It offers training on permaculture, regenerative agriculture, waste management, and water conservation. The social enterprise it created incentivizes local farmers to engage in regenerative agriculture by buying their products.
Voting closed on Friday, September 10.
Overall winners within each category will be awarded at the 2021 Regenerative Travel Summit which will be held between September 20 and 22.
