Cape Town Tourism’s proactive stance in guiding the industry in the practices of Responsible Tourism has won the support of the business community, resulting in the donation of a series of videos from leading South African animation company Sea Monster Entertainment.

The videos showcase sustainable tourism in practice in an approachable way that highlights how locals and visitors can engage with their spaces in beneficial ways.

City of Cape Town and Cape Town Tourism spearheaded the creation of the Responsible Tourism Charter in 2009, encouraging business to become signatories to its principles: “understanding the need to amend our practices and respecting our environment and communities with whom we engage.”

This has been the guiding approach through the water crisis, with the organisation engaging with tourism and secondary tourism businesses, along with the public and private sector, to reiterate what has always been its guiding principle: promoting and demonstrating Responsible Tourism to ensure sustainability for the tourism industry.

Glenn Gillis, CEO of Sea Monster Entertainment, explains:

“Cape Town Tourism’s actions in partnering with corporates, agencies, organisations and smaller businesses inspired us, so we created this video series to contribute practically to their initiatives. Cape Town Tourism, amid a climate of fear and uncertainty, has kept the long-term vision alive of sustainability in tourism and maintained that the city is open for business.”

Click here to see the first in this sustainability video series:

“This accessible video series illustrates what we’re doing in practice, so it’s a handy addition to our sustainability toolkit. It’s our goal to bring more businesses on board to reach greater audiences with the essential messaging that our activities must be aligned with the principles of sustainable tourism. We are there to provide those connections that can uplift entire communities, and welcome all businesses, members of our organisation or not, to be part of a greater contribution to society.” – Enver Duminy, CEO, Cape Town Tourism

Cape Town Tourism also partnered with Sanlam in an effective “two-minute shower” campaign that enlisted many of SA’s top musicians performing two-minute versions of their songs that locals and visitors could download and enjoy when taking a brief shower. The campaign has gained positive support across the country.

Duminy stresses that Cape Town is all set to welcome visitors:

“The welcome mat is out for all explorers and adventurers looking to experience a world-class destination with unique attractions and culture. Come and see for yourself and join us in practicing sustainable tourism so that Cape Town can be enjoyed for generations to come,” he concludes.