Certification in the South African tourism industry: the case of Fair Trade in Tourism

Abstract

Internationally, certification is playing an increasing role in regulating and monitoring tourism enterprise, and promoting responsible and sustainable tourism development. Certification is relatively new in the South African tourism industry, with schemes being developed to measure product quality and the environmental, social and developmental aspects of tourism. This article positions certification in the South African tourism industry against important international debates on the topic and against some major challenges facing the industry in this country, namely the growth of the sector, transformation and sustainable socio-economic development. One certification programme, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, is presented as a case study.

The author wishes to thank Professor Chris Rogerson and Jennifer Seif (FTTSA), and two anonymous referees for valuable comments on earlier drafts.