Kenya Encourages Tourists To Plant Trees – Angola Focuses On Developing Its Conservation Areas For Tourism
Frankfurt, 11th June 2024. Africa plays a crucial role in global biodiversity, hosting a quarter of the world’s mammal and bird species. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 19% of Africa’s land and 17% of its surrounding marine areas are designated as protected.
Financing conservation remains a challenge for the continent. „Tourism can make a significant contribution here, with international travelers also sharing responsibility,“ explains Hanna Kleber from the Voice4Africa initiative, whose affiliated tour operators support conservation projects in African destinations.
The One Tree per Tourist initiative in Kenya
The Kenyan government recently launched the „One Tree per Tourist“ initiative which aims to reduce tourism’s ecological footprint and enhance conservation efforts by encouraging every visitor to plant a tree. The initiative will be implemented in collaboration with hotels and travel agencies, including in urban centers like Nairobi, where designated areas under the name „Tourist Forests Kenya“ are to be established for tree planting. This allows travelers to make a direct contribution to reforestation efforts in the country.
Kenya was recently affected by extreme rainfall and flooding as a result of climate change. The reforestation measures are intended not only to offset the CO2 balance but also to promote biodiversity and restore ecological resources. They are aimed at supporting the long-term goal of the Kenyan government to plant fifteen billion trees by 2032.
Angola Plans To Expand Ecotourism In The Kavango-Zambezi Region
Angola similarly aims to develop nature tourism in the Kavango-Zambezi region, focusing on sustainable tourism and natural resources in collaboration with Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In 2011, these countries established the world’s largest terrestrial transfrontier conservation area, covering approximately 520,000 square kilometers – about the size of Spain.
Recently, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) introduced its new „Rivers of Life“ brand during the KAZA Heads of State Summit in Livingstone, Zambia, aiming to promote the area as a cross-border tourist destination.
For Angola, where the tourism industry is still emerging, this region presents an opportunity to expand nature tourism, particularly in the Okavango region, the least developed part of the transboundary river ecosystem. The natural resources are intended to be used sustainably to revitalize the Angolan economy through tourism and other cross-sectoral industries, create prosperity for the local population, and enhance wildlife conservation in the country.
About Voice4Africa
VOICE4AFRICA is an initiative of the KLEBER GROUP, a full-service PR agency with a special focus on tourism and many years of expertise in Africa. Together with African tour operators, the initiative promotes responsible tourism to Africa as a means of international understanding and a driver for sustainable development. Voice4Africa is the winner of the Corps Touristique Award for International Understanding 2023.
Press contact:
Hanna Kleber and Julia Kleber | Management
Friederike Galuschky | Senior Consultant Communications
Hamburger Allee 45
60486 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (69) 71 91 36 0
E-mail: hanna.kleber@klebergroup.com and julia.kleber@klebergroup.com / friederike.galuschky@klebergroup.com
Photo: Watamu Treehouse, Kenya (c) Kenya Tourism Board