Last Wednesday, David Tett, our CEO, gave an educational and invigorating presentation at CraftWork located in Healdsburg, CA. It was our first in-person presentation since COVID, and we couldn’t be more excited.
He illustrated the Tett history and how the family trekked through mountain ranges and over seas to settle down in South Africa and eventually Zimbabwe. Safari was not always as it is now, but more akin to camping in national parks in the U.S. The Tett family regularly explored the bush and immersed themselves in the wilderness.
As the world caught on to the magic of safari, the more imperative it became for people to implement wild economies. A wild economy is defined by using wildlife, plants, and animals as a key asset to develop a sustainable surrounding economy. For a wild economy to be successful, it must involve the local communities. With this in mind, we support the Wildlife Conservation Network, which is partnered with an expansive portfolio of conservation organizations heavily involving local communities. One of our favorite examples is Ewaso Lions, an inspiring network of conservationists comprised of local communities.
Eco tourism is the wild economy we participate in as a safari company. It is defined by responsible travel to natural areas that safeguards the integrity of the ecosystem and produces economic benefits for local communities that can encourage conservation. These are values that determine how we do business and with whom we do business. In turn, how does your safari dollar break down on average? 52 cents goes to concession fees (the majority of the safari hot spots are on public lands); 12 cents goes to conservation, land management, and anti-poaching; 33 cents goes to the operational costs of the safari camp; 3 cents are attributed to the shareholders or owners of the camp.
We look forward to more educational and inspiring conversations later this year. David has a myriad of stories, experience, and information surrounding ethical travel and wild economies. Stay tuned for more presentation news!