Members are welcomed to a network of like-minded businesses who share a vision for more inclusive, responsible and Fair Trade Tourism. They will have the opportunity to learn how they can adapt their operations to create more benefits for people and planet, while offering a rewarding travel experience

Eligibility If you would to become a member of the Fair Trade Tourism community, consider the following:

1. Is your tourism business based in Africa?
2. Is your business a tourism PRODUCT as defined by FTT? According to this definition, a tourism product "provides facilities, services and / or experiences directly to tourists". For example, accommodation, activity (e.g. boat cruise, ziplining, etc.), attraction, venue, food service, volunteer tourism, or community tour (an independently marketed and packaged day tour that involves the same 3rd party service providers every time).

If you answered "yes" to both questions above, please go ahead an register your business here. Once you have registered, we will contact you to confirm the details of your annual membership.  

Benefits of Fair Trade Tourism membership include:

Technical support:

• Access to a comprehensive sustainability management system based on the FTT Standard and criteria.
• Action planning tool to plot your journey from your current baseline, forward.
• Step-by-step guidance on how to shift your operations to align with Fair Trade Tourism principles, including templates and monitoring tools.
• Examples and tips from industry peers.
• On-line webinars and workshops.

Networking opportunities:

• Learn from the experience of like-minded businesses through online meetings and chat groups.
• Be exposed to thought leaders and industry experts through webinars.
• Invitations to forthcoming annual events where ideas can be exchanged with industry peers.

Members are not entitled to use the FTT logo; this is reserved for businesses that have successfully passed an independent audit.

 Annual Membership Fees

Register now to become a member and start your Fair Trade Tourism journey.

FTT-Engaged is a "step-in" approach to the Fair Trade Tourism Certification journey. Recognizing the challenges that many businesses face in achieving full certification, FTT-Engaged provides a clear, structured pathway into sustainability certification that prioritizes tangible sustainability practices over more advanced management systems, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can participate in responsible tourism. It incorporates approximately one-third of the criteria required for full Fair Trade Tourism Certification, making it a more achievable first step for businesses committed to ethical and sustainable operations.

Eligibility: FTT Engaged is available for:

• Tourism products based in Africa; this includes accommodation, activities, attractions, food services, volunteer tourism, and community tours (a 'stand-alone' day excursion involving 3rd party service providers, not as an add-on to accommodation)
• A tourism business that is a Member of Fair Trade Tourism

Process for Fair Trade Tourism Engaged:

1. Register as a Member of FTT and pay the annual fee for access to the online platform (click "login" in the menu at the top of this page to register);
2. Complete the FTT-Engaged online report (±54 criteria), adapting where you identify opportunities to improve and uploading evidence where requrested;
3. Receive feedback and guidance from FTT about your performance, adapt where you wish, and update your report accordingly;
4. When you are ready, submit the report to initiate the independent audit process;
5. An audit contract and invoice will be provided for signature and pre-payment;
6. An independent auditor will be assigned and a tentative audit schedule will be agreed with the FTT-Engaged candidate;
7. The assigned auditor reviews the Engaged candidate's online report and evidence uploaded, and corroborates this during a remote site audit (including interview and observations); and
8. An audit report is compiled, complete with the auditor's recommendation regarding whether FTT-Engaged should be awarded.

To pass an audit, the FTT--Engaged candidate must meet all "Mandatory" criteria, as well as 80% of the "General" criteria. If the audit is passed, a business will be provided with their FTT-Engaged award. No logos may be used, nor any claims of "Certified" status. FTT-Engaged is simply to enable businesses to confirm that they are on the journey. 

An independent audit of performance against the FTT-Engaged requirements is conducted every two (2) years.

Audit Fee: Indicative costs for a Fair Trade Tourism Engaged audit are from R2,000 (plus VAT, where applicable) or US$100 / equivalent in countries outside of South Africa. These are payable every two (2) years. NB These costs are external to FTT; they are paid across to independent auditors for their verification services. Audit Fees may vary depending on the size of the business. Please contact FTT with your total number of full-time employees and description of your business operations and premises for a more accurate cost estimate.

 View the summary of the FTT Standard here

 Annual Membership Fees

 Who is currently endorsed by FTT (Certified / Engaged)

Register now to embark on the Fair Trade Tourism journey! 

Fair Trade Tourism Certification remains a voluntary process, but is a must-have accolade for businesses looking to promote themselves in the growing responsible tourism market. It requires that a business pass an independent audit to verify their performance against Fair Trade Tourism's Standard, which contains a range of criteria that address business performance in:

• Commitment and communication relating to responsible tourism;
• Local economic impact;
• Community and social development;
• Environmental impact management, including procurement, energy, transport, climate action, water conservation, solid waste management, and pollution prevention;
• Labour practice and human resource management,  including human rights, fair wages and working conditions, and health and safety; and
• Biodiversity, ecosystems, and landscapes.

FTT's comprehensive standard is designed to ensure that the local development context is prioritised, while periodic reviews ensure that we maintain our alignment with global best practice. 

Eligibility: FTT Certification is available for:

• Tourism products based in Africa; this includes accommodation, activities, attractions, food services, volunteer tourism, and community tours (a "stand-alone" day excursion involving 3rd party service providers, not as an add-on to accommodation);
• A tourism business that has been in operation for at least one (1) year (so that there is an established performance history to verify); and
• A tourism business that is a Member of Fair Trade Tourism.

Benefits of Fair Trade Tourism Certification include:

• Reduced reputational risk through independent, transparent verification of your sustainability claims;
• Access to tour operators, travel agencies, and travellers that seek verified, sustainably-operated tourism products in the destination;
• A Fair Trade Tourism Certificate and logo-use rights which may be showcased in online marketing platforms and in reception areas / similar;
• Representation on the Fair Trade Tourism website;
• Preferential listings on OTA sustainability features, including Expedia, Booking.com, Destinet, and others;
• Invitations to submit relevant social media content for FTT's platforms;
• Invitations to networking activities, e.g., webinars;
• Access to a support toolkit and action planning tool that unpacks the FTT standard into bite-sized modules for continuous improvement; and
• The opportunity for increased staff loyalty and job satisfaction, increased guest satisfaction, and reduced operating costs related to the implementation of more efficient systems - all of which are found to result from aligning tourism business operations with FTT principles and responsible tourism.

Process for Fair Trade Tourism Certification:

1. Register as a Member of FTT and pay the annual membership fee for access to the online platform (click "login" in the menu at the top of this page to register).
2. Complete the FTT-Certified online report (± 174 criteria), adapting where you identify opportunities to improve;
3. Receive feedback and guidance from FTT about your performance, adapt where you wish, and update your report accordingly;
4. When you are ready, submit the report to initiate the independent audit process agains the FTT Standards;
5. An audit contract and invoice will be provided for signature and pre-payment
6. An independent / third-pary auditor will be assigned and audit dates, logistics (where applicable), and tentative audit schedule will be agreed with the certification candidate:
   • First time certification audits typically take 2 days, including at least 1 full day on site (larger businesses will be longer); the certification candidate is responsible for auditor travel costs, accommodation and meals for the duration of the audit
   • Certification renewals are eligible for remote site verification; the duration and process is similar but auditor travel and accommodation costs will not be applicable.
7. The assigned auditor reviews the certification candidate's online report, corroborates the report with evidence gathered during the site audit (including staff interviews and observations), and completes an audit report of their findings, conclusion, and recommendation regarding FTT Certification

To pass an audit, the FTT-Certified candidate must meet all of FTT's "Mandatory" criteria, as well as 75% of the "General" criteria. If the audit is passed, a business will be provided with a certificate, the FTT-Certified logo that they are authorised to use, and the FTT Logo Use Guidelines to communicate its Fair Trade Tourism-Certified status.

Independent FTT Certification audits of business performance against the FTT Standard are conducted every three (3) years for renewal. 

For more details about the procedure or how to lodge a complaint click here to link through to the FTT online reporting platform.

Audit Fee: Indicative costs for a Fair Trade Tourism Certification audit are from R7,500 (plus VAT, where applicable) or US$400 / equivalent in countries outside of South Africa. These are payable every three (3) years. NB These costs are external to FTT; they are paid across to independent auditors for their verification services. Audit Fees may vary depending on the size of the business. Please contact FTT with your location, total number of full-time employees, and description of your business operations and premises for a more accurate cost estimate.

 View the summary of the FTT Standard here

 Annual FTT Membership Fees

 Who is currently endorsed by FTT (Certified / Engaged)

Register now to embark on the Fair Trade Tourism journey! 

Tour operators and travel agents play an important role in connecting travellers with FTT-Certified tourism businesses. The choices you make when designing and selling holidays can create opportunities for these businesses and the people who contribute their land, resources, labour and knowledge to tourism.

We welcome tour operators and travel agents to join Fair Trade Tourism as members, connect with our network and include FTT-Certified businesses in their travel offerings. Membership provides a way to support Fair Trade Tourism principles and participate in our community. It does not confer certification or authorise the use of FTT logos.

Tour operators and travel agents are not eligible for FTT certification. You may use the FTT-Certified logo only when referring directly to a specific FTT-Certified tourism product, with placement that clearly identifies the business to which certification applies. You are responsible for checking that business’s current certified status through the FTT website.

When promoting an itinerary, identify the individual FTT-Certified businesses included and make the scope of their certification clear. Their inclusion does not mean that the entire holiday, tour operator or travel agency is FTT-Certified. Any wider sustainability claims should be specific, substantiated and verifiable.

Join us in connecting travellers with independently audited tourism businesses and supporting the Fair Trade Tourism journey across Africa.

 Become a FTT-Approved & Travelife Partner tour operator

For more information about how this works, or if you've already decided that you would like to embark on the journey... please contact us!