Matoke Tours Africa has won the ‘One to Watch’ award at the Responsible Tourism Awards Africa 2024 in the category for ‘Employing and Upskilling local communities’.
The Responsible Tourism Awards by WTM Africa honor outstanding achievements in promoting sustainability within the tourism industry across the continent. These awards recognize those who are dedicated to fostering positive impacts and uphold exemplary standards in responsible tourism practices. The primary aim of the awards is to uncover, acknowledge, and advocate for exemplary efforts that contribute to the sustainable development of tourism.
Tourism plays a crucial role in generating employment opportunities, particularly within local communities. However, despite its benefits, the industry still faces challenges such as employment disparities, seasonal instability, and limited growth prospects. Within the category ‘Employing and Upskilling local communities” WTM Africa seeks to highlight tourism enterprises that actively engage in recruiting, training, and empowering local residents, thereby providing stable, long-term employment and fostering growth opportunities within their communities. Matoke Tours Africa has been awarded a certificate of recognition for our outstanding effort in creating opportunities for Women in Tourism;
“This DMC emphasises the importance of human connections in travel and tourism, bridging barriers between cultures and driving economic development. Through the Matoke Academy, they support and use the Ukarimu open-source curriculum, and they have a Women in Tourism initiative providing guide and driver training and are developing women-only itineraries. The judges would like to see a further entry for the awards when there is data on impact.” – WTM Africa
We are honored to be recognised amongst Africa’s devoted leaders in sustainable tourism, and are dedicated to continue generating positive influence by making a conscious effort towards creating a more inclusive tourism industry.
We are incredibly proud to be featured in the CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries) report, highlighting Best practice for successful sustainable tour operators. This recognition celebrates our commitment to inclusive and sustainable tourism approaches, particularly our efforts in socio-cultural preservation. The report emphasises the vital role that inbound tour operators play in creating positive change: “As an inbound tour operator, you can create positive change in your destination. Tourism can mitigate negative impacts and create better places for nature and local communities to thrive if it is managed correctly.”
As Anna Grodzki, Managing Director, shares: “It is crucial to create a safe space for women to discuss challenges and ambitions. Tackling a topic like gender equality can feel daunting, but starting with small steps and learning along the way is key. Hopefully, we will inspire others to join our movement and create impactful change.”
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In December 2022, Matoke Tours received the Ekkula Tourism Award for being the ‘Most Sustainable Tour Operator’ in Uganda! With sustainability as a guiding principle at the core of our business, we will always strive to contribute to a more inclusive tourism industry, diverse low-impact tourism products and tours designed to create a positive impact for our destination.
We are thankful to see our efforts recognised by colleagues in the tourism industry through this important award.
In July 2023, Matoke Tours received an award from the Uganda Wildlife Authority in appreciation and recognition of Matoke Tours’ support towards wildlife conservation. This recognition holds immense significance for us as it exemplifies our unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation, a cause that lies at the very core of our values and purpose.
We firmly believe that responsible tourism is not just an option but an obligation, and this award is a testament to the collective efforts of our dedicated team and esteemed partners who wholeheartedly support our commitment to sustainable travel practices.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to the Uganda Wildlife Authority for this extraordinary recognition. We stand humbled and motivated, ready to embark on a future filled with boundless possibilities for wildlife conservation and responsible travel.
“When I started at Matoke Tours, I considered it as a golden opportunity to contribute to an exciting positive thinking and fast growing company in Uganda’s vibrant tourism sector, and therefore there was vast potential in the company to grow my experience and shape my dream.
I love how Matoke Tours’ core values are people centered. The past decade I’ve experienced Matoke Tours’ inclusive culture. Unlike most companies, Matoke Tours facilitates meetings of directors, administration, consultants, finance and field guides to discuss products and itineraries that are being developed, and guides like myself are given a floor to share our opinions and advice and it’s adopted. Matoke Tours has good core values and practices social responsibility to the communities where we operate, including the commitment to uplifting the standards of women in tourism.
Matoke Tours’ clients are always good and organized, and in many instances I attribute that to the very good and extensive information they receive from their tour consultants at Matoke Tours, who engage them prior to their vacation. In my opinion, it’s one of very few companies where clients realize value for money.”
“I am one of Uganda’s female tour guides. Before I participated in Matoke Tours’ female guides training with mentorship from the facilitators, getting trips was difficult. This training helped me gain exposure, knowledge on how to handle clients and to master routes, which was a big challenge. No tour operator would trust me with their clients, until now; Matoke Tours’ Female Tour guide training has kick-started my career.
After the training I started working as a guide. The day I felt like dreams come true was the day I was called to lead one of Matoke Tours’ trips. I had always wished to work for Matoke Tours because of how outstanding and unique they are compared to other Ugandan based companies.
Matoke Tours is consistent in monitoring my progress regarding my guiding experience, just like a parent. I gained confidence and started doing back to back trips. I received good reviews and now I can say thank you Matoke Tours for mentoring women and making them stand out in the male dominated industry.”
As we are dealing with a highly competitive market, the partnering tour operators we work with as a DMC remain confidential. However, we are thrilled to share personal testimonials from travel consultants, tour leaders and business owners that work with us.
Barry : “Matoke has been uniformly helpful in planning my trips. They are always friendly and responsive. When changes are needed, Matoke is flexible and reasonable. Without hesitation I seek out Matoke to assist in planning East Africa trips…
Brinka : “We have been working with Matoke Tours for more than 10 years now. Our collaboration began in 2012 at the ITB in Berlin. Getting to know each other was followed by a lively exchange…
Philippe : “Always a pleasure working with Matoke Tours. Accurate and quick response to requests/questions and a superb service on the spot! For Uganda, one partner : Matoke! …
SafariBookings.com is the world’s largest resource for comparing tour operators in Africa through reviews. Matoke Tours is proudly listed as ‘top rated tour operator’ with a 5/5-star rating, rated by over 300 individuals who traveled with us to Eastern Africa from at least 40 different source markets worldwide.
At Matoke Tours Africa, we are at the forefront of responsible tourism, championing initiatives that create meaningful, positive change. We believe travel is a catalyst for human connections, bridging barriers between cultures, and every tour should not only enrich the lives of those who experience it, but also contribute to the wellbeing of the communities and environments that make these journeys unforgettable. Recognized internationally for our dedication to innovative sustainable practices, we are building a legacy that inspires others to join us in crafting a future where tourism is both transformative and responsible.
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