Exclusive Sustainable Tour Operators Association (ESTOA), is Uganda’s unique tourism association with a main focus on creating a tourism sector that is sustainably cautious in all operations. ESTOA represents tenacious tour operators based in Uganda and provides a bridge in between the private sector, government institutions and other stakeholders to ensure a growing network and a flourishing industry.
Furthermore, equal training and marketing opportunities are offered to all members.
Most of our clients want to travel sustainably and that is the gap we intend to fill. We are all about the conservation of National Parks and the surrounding natural environments like swamps, lakes and rivers that attract birds and other members of Uganda’s ecosystem.
We shall also strongly encourage the tourists to at least plant a tree while they are in the country. We also intend to start a program to try and conserve Lake Victoria because the silting going on right now will kill it if someone doesn’t do something.’
Our planned projects are:
- A large scale tree planting project. We are engaging UWA on this already about where and how. The idea is to get tour companies to pay per each guests for a tree to help and substitute the CO2 emission per flight.
- UWA wants us to erect sign posts of ban of plastic bottles and plastic bags in national parks
- Training tour operators to exchange the commonly used plastic bottles with stainless steel bottles. Some of us are doing it already. Training hotels and guides as well to use less plastic and use sustainable materials.
- Collection and recycling of plastic waste around lodges and camps across the country
- Collection and separation of rubbish especially in the Kampala areas. Here we are in touch already with KCCA. We would like to even work with schools in Kampala and communities upcountry together
- Include women and youth in all projects.