KAROO FOR “GREEN / ECO-TOURISM”!

The Karoo Gateway Airport and Guest House is in the process of going totally green and we pride ourselves in nature conservation! The Karoo is the prime “Green / Eco-Tourist Destination” in South Africa and rich in natural and cultural heritage!

A secret, magic, undiscovered land of beauty, waiting to be explored from our perfect located base! The Karoo is famous for its bio-diversity and a disease free environment. There is a fulfilling emptiness, serenity of space, silence and solitude….

It is the worlds richest fossils collecting ground and there are many fossil trails. More than 6000 species of Fauna and Flora can be enjoyed in the Karoo. Clear skies offer perfect star gazing with the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere at Sutherland!

Visit interesting Bushmen work- and living sites with rock engravings and other work of art! Unique hospitality and cultural experiences with the local community will enrich your life!

KAROO GATEWAY RESPONSIBLE TOURISM POLICY

I, Dr Bambie Heiberg, CEO of the Karoo Gateway Airport and Guesthouse as well as the community based Karoo Gateway Development Projects, commit myself and my Karoo Gateway Team to Responsible Tourism. Our mission is to through extensive, responsible and environment sensitive upgrades of the Karoo Gateway Airport and Infrastructure, create economical growth and sustainable job creation in and around Beaufort-West, neighbouring villages and vicinity to maximize local economic benefits. We strongly stand for the development and delivery of new quality products in the tourist industry to enable the historically disadvantaged, to become part of mainstream tourism in the Karoo!

The development and training of human resources to drive strategic initiatives and add more expertise to the poverty stricken Karoo economy, is regarded as one of the main objectives of this project. We endeavor to recognize, enhance and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Karoo and its wonderful people. Resulting in upliftment and higher standards of living, for ALL the people of the Karoo. We are proud to be BEE compliant and commit ourselves to contributions to local Educational Institutions, Clinics, Hospitals and other Health Institutions. We support recognized Charity-, Welfare and Church Organizations and offer expertise to and sponsorships for Arts Festivals, for example the local yearly “Karoo Heart Festival“.

OUR ADHERENCE TO RESPONSIBLE AND FAIR TRADE TOURISM

• Our aim is to form strong linkages at local level and endeavour to pull groups of established as well as emerging enterprises, together in a combined effort to develop a complementary tourist industry for the Karoo in our vision of just, participatory and ethical tourism that provides meaningful benefits for hosts and visitors alike. This will contribute to a stronger base for local economic development in the Karoo region as a whole.

• We want to invest in and develop local cultures and protect them and the natural habitat of the Karoo with its 6000 Fauna and Flora species and fossils, through sustainable environmental practises and the promotion of balanced and sustainable tourism. We strongly oppose over-commercialisation and over-exploitation.

• We maintain good and sound relationships with our neighbours and with the historically disadvantaged, based on mutual trust, empowerment, co-operation and partnerships.

• We recognize and value diversity, both in the natural environment and amongst the people of the much loved Karoo and follow sound environmental practices to save the Karoo for future generations.

• We are taking hands across all borders, in making and offering meaningful contributions/expertise over a wide spectrum to the transformation of all Karoo communities by empowering the disempowered and uplifting the downtrodden through the Karoo Gateway Development Project.

• We acknowledge the local and regional authorities which support our goal and vision of creating sustainable job opportunities, educating and training and uplifting the local communities over a broad spectrum and enhance regional economic development.

• We have a 100% local employment rate, and educate our employees on an ongoing basis at the Karoo Gateway.

• We are raising our standards on an ongoing basis and have very good incentive and bonus schemes in place to motivate our people to maintain the highest possible levels of standards and service and find joy, pride and fulfillment in what they do! We strongly belief in investment in local staff as quality is dependant on well-motivated staff and work together as a close knit team!

• Our employees are being offered fair wages, we provide free transport to our staff, good working conditions, and free uniforms.

• We are forming linkages with other tourism organizations and stakeholders locally but also internationally in creating awareness of sustainable Karoo tourism into this undiscovered, breathtaking beautiful eco- and responsible tourist destination with its rich cultural heritage!

• We endeavor to be innovative in our tour itineraries by including local museums, arts and crafts shops, local bars and restaurants offering traditional cuisine, encouraging visitors to spend more money in the local economy.

• We promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of the natural resources in the Karoo. We make use of natural borehole water and we are self-sufficient in our water supplies, as well as reducing and manage water and energy usage on an ongoing basis.

• In all our facilities upgrades, we aim to conserve water and electricity – toilets have been replaced by low water usage units, we have clear notices in all rooms to use water sparingly, low voltage light fittings have been installed and as far as possible we make use of natural ventilation.

• Our restaurant offers mouth watering traditional local dishes, and a wide range of excellent local Karoo- as well as South African wines. We buy 95% of all our stock and food supplies locally to support the small businesses and always offer fair prices.

• We are gradually turning the premises in a little Oases in the heart of the Karoo - extensive gardening is taking place, we have planted 220 Olive trees in 2008 and have embarked on an aggressive program to eradicate alien plants, replacing them with indigenous trees and plants from local suppliers.

• We strongly support Responsible Tourism and Fair Trade and we endeavor with the community based Karoo Gateway Development Project, to eventually create sustainable jobs for up to 300 people, get involved in educational and social welfare programs and secure the rights of marginalized small-scale producers and workers, in particular also traditional and unique handicrafts of the Karoo and assist local entrepreneurs to get started.

• The very traditional symbol of the Karoo, the water wind pump, was designed on miniature scale by us and made into a key ring out of wire and distributed to Indaba Conference Delegates, a project recently started by us in the Karoo as part of development of sustainable local handicraft enterprise by assisting with new designs and production skills for local craft workers.

• Being professionally involved in South African Arts Festivals for the past 30 years, our CEO Dr Bambie Heiberg, strongly belief in the unifying power of the arts to bring people of all spheres together. We also participate in sponsoring cultural festivals, concerts and art events with the goal of community upliftment and enrichment. All proceeds are donated to non-profitable charity organizations and educational institutions.

• We are doing research on an ongoing basis to identify cultural heritage resources, local based merit worthy social upliftment programs and initiatives, and offer our expertise, support and contributions to these projects.

• We encourage pro-active participation and involvement of all the Karoo stakeholders – including the private sector, government at all levels, labour and the local communities at all stages of the Karoo Gateway Tourist Development Project and are looking forward to the immediate future to build and restore the much forgotten Karoo as a merit worthy and sough-after new Tourist Destination in South Africa!