Fair Trade Tourism's (FTT), a South African NGO that encourages and monitors fair and responsible practises in tourism establishments and activities, recently added the
Voortrekker Monument to the family of FTT-certified businesses.
As part of the greening initiatives at the Voortrekker Monument, a recycling project in conjunction with the restaurant on site was recently established. For recycling at the monument, colour coded bins have been placed in strategic areas to make it easy for international tourists to contribute towards recycling project.
The Voortrekker Monument manages their water source, as well as two dams on site. The water in the dams is used to maintain the beautiful gardens. The Monument is also situated on a declared nature reserve. In addition, the Voortrekker Monument works closely with members of Tshwane Nature Conservation to ensure that the site conforms to standards. (via Fair Trade Tourism)
The monument, located just south of Pretoria in a nature reserve, was designed to commemorate the Voortrekkers by architect
Gerard Moerdijk. It was inaugurated on 16 December 1949 and declared a
Grade 1 National Heritage Site in July 2011. Today the
Voortrekker Monument is the most visited heritage site of its kind in
Gauteng and one of the top ten cultural historical visitor attractions in
South Africa. The monument is open daily from Mondays to Sundays from 08:00 - 17:00 (May - Aug) or from 08:00 - 18:00 (Sept - April).
Fair Trade Tourism's (FTT) certification programme, which was recently outsourced to
FLO-Cert,
is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and
working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business
practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.
