Impact Assessment South Africa 2025

Tourism Impact Assessment in South Africa
Consultations on Social Impacts in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Greater Kruger Areas.

The project applies a multi-stakeholder approach, involving tour operators, civil society organisations and various stakeholders. It focuses on assessing human rights risks in travel products and is aligned with the principles of the German Supply Chain Act. 
The findings will be translated into practical recommendations for tourism businesses, ensuring that the benefits extend throughout the sector. 
On-site consultations took place in mid-January, with fithe rst results to be presented at ITB 2025.

Lunch & Learn: Tourism Impact Assessment South Africa - Findings, Measures, and Opportunities for Engagement 

Tuesday, 26 June, 11.00 - 12.00 pm CET

Watch this engaging webinar on human rights and the social impacts of tourism in South Africa. The session presents key outcomes from a recent impact assessment led by the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism, in partnership with Brot für die Welt – Tourism Watch, DERTOUR Group, Studiosus, Kneissl Touristik, and Fair Trade Tourism.

The project focused on mid-range group travel in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and the Greater Kruger area. Speakers will highlight findings, follow-up measures, and how tourism businesses can engage for positive change. The online report with practical recommendations was also introduced.

The assessment 

• focusses a tourism supply chain of mid-range group tourism products in the crucial South African tourism hubs Cape Town, Johannesburg, and the Greater Kruger areas.
• applies a multi-stakeholder approach
• follows an internationally acknowledged methodology
• is taking into account risk topics named in the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG)
• builds on the Roundtable's detailed blueprint tool, including methodology, various templates, and procedures for (SME) tourism businesses

In particular, the project aims at

• facilitating access to sector-specific information on human rights issues for tour operators on a classical tourism route in South Africa;
• providing support to tour operators for the identification and prioritization of risk areas within their own business;
• guiding tour operators in taking concrete measures to address human rights risks and implement due diligence strategies in a targeted and pragmatic manner;
• defining appropriate mitigating actions (also with regard to LkSG)
• fostering partnership with local key stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, NGOs and other businesses and organisations.
   

Project process:

• Aug - Oct 2024: 
  Concept note development, decision of destination, discussions with members and partners
• Oct - Dec 2024: 
  Formation of core group and local facilitation partners, human rights scoping, finalisation of project funding
• Jan 2025: 
  Planning of consultations and itinerary. On-site assessment: January 19–29, 2025.
• Feb - Mar 2025: 
  The results were clustered and analysed.
• April - May 2025: 
  Writing of online report with practical recommendations and measures for tourism stakeholders on different levels. Measures are discussed and decided with the project team. 
  The report will be published by mid of 2025.  

The project is driven by committed core project partners, who lead the preparations and on-site assessment in collaboration with the Roundtable coordination office. 
Local facilitation support is provided by Fair Trade Tourism, leveraging its strong ties to South African communities to ensure a context-sensitive and effective approach. 
Various further supporters from the tourism sector contribute financially and through in-kind services.

Core project partners:

• Brot für die Welt -  Tourism Watch
• DERTOUR Group
• Kneissl Touristik GmbH
• Studiosus Reisen München GmbH

Local facilitation partner:

• Fair Trade Tourism in South Africa

Supporters:

• AER Kooperation AG
• African Kombi Tours
• ECPAT Deutschland e.V.
• erlebe-fernreisen GmbH
• forum anders reisen e.V.
• Green Tiger Travel
• SKR Reisen GmbH
• Socialbnb
• Studienkreis für Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V.
• Ventura TRAVEL GmbH
• VSocial Foundation e.V.
• WomenFairTravel

Scope of the assessment

• On-site assessment from 19-29 January 2025
• Focus on risks / social impacts in mid-range group tours
• "Classical Route" :
  • South: Cape Town, Western Cape, Winelands (Stellenbosch area)
  • North: Johannesburg, Soweto, Blyde River Canyon, Greater Kruger Park Area (Hazyview and Hoedspruit areas)

Stakeholder Consultations 

• 8 online pre-consultations with various experts, institutions and organisations (e.g., ILO, South African Human Rights Commission, Jellybeanz, Goodwork Foundation...)
• 2 focus group discussions (Cape Town and Johannesburg)
• 31 consultations on-site with >80 stakeholders
  • Destination Management Companies (DMCs)
  • Accomodations
  • Activity Providers
  • Transport Providers
  • Associations
• Visits to tourism related projects, good practice examples and organisations

We presented the project and first findings during ITB 2025 with a panel discussion "A Collaborative Tourism Impact Assessment in South Africa – Recommendations and Practice-Oriented Learnings for Tourism Businesses" 

This session presented the first findings from the "Tourism Impact Assessment South Africa", a collaborative project conducted in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and the Greater Kruger area. Led by the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism and industry partners, the assessment examined human rights risks in mid-range group tourism products and offers practical recommendations. The project is aligned with the German Supply Chain Act.

Speaker:
Alien Spiller, Policy Advisor Tourism and Development - Bread for the World - Tourism Watch
Laura Steden, Director Corporate Responsibility - DERTOUR Group
Tony Reyhanloo, Head of Corporate Responsibility - Studiosus

Moderation: 
Katharina Stechl, Program Manager - Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism