My Tree in Africa - 2010 Eco Tourism Initiative in South Africa

Posted by Karen Lotter Oct 9, 2008

I worry a bit about my own country because I don’t see much happening here on the eco-tourism front, so I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I read that an advertising agency is showing the way.

My Tree in Africa is an eco tourism initiative launched for the 2010 Soccer World Cup by South African based Zoom Advertising.

2010 Carbon Footprint

Deon Robbertze, creative director of Zoom Advertising explains that South African Tourism recently made an appeal that people involved in the tourism industry did something about the carbon footprint of overseas visitors to this country. “My tree in Africa' is a solution. With 2010 looming, we need to promote South Africa as environmentally responsible, because many of these visitors will be green-aware.”

Working together with highly respected organization Food and Trees for Africa, Zoom’s green initiative is simple to grasp and easy to implement. Every R80 collected will pay for the planting of a tree in Africa.

Food and Trees for Africa

This non-profit organisation, which was established in 1990 addresses greening, global warming mitigation, sustainable natural resource management, and food security. Through countless projects it creates awareness of the benefits of healthy environments and climate change while contributing to poverty alleviation, improved environments, capacity building and skills development.

Gaining momentum by the day, Zoom Advertising has signed up Travel Smart, to the ‘My Tree in Africa' campaign. Travel Smart - which is a group of companies, of which Giltedge Travel is one member - has gone one step further and stated it will also make its own organization carbon neutral.

So it looks like Eco tourism is picking up speed in South Africa, even if it is being driven by an advertising agency.