Table Mountain cableway named most responsible tourism site

The Imvelo Awards, running for the 10th year, creates awareness of environmental management issues in the industry, and recognises tourism and hospitality businesses that are in line with making quantifiable, tangible and sustained contributions to responsible tourism.

The Imvelo Awards programme is run by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) and the awards are open to any type of tourism or hospitality business in Africa.

CEO of Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Sabine Lehmann said: "We are particularly proud of this award reflecting our drive toward best practice in all areas of responsible tourism from managing waste, water and electricity as well as ensuring that social investment is felt further than just our site."

High-impact business in a sensitive site

"Table Mountain Cableway has for many years been at the forefront of environmental stewardship, having been the first business in Africa to achieve Green Globe Certification and one of the first in tourism to achieve the ISO14001 certification through the SABS," said Brett Dungan, CEO of FEDHASA. "It operates a high-impact business in one of the world's most sensitive and iconic sites, one that is recognised as a World Heritage Site."

Dungan said particular attention has been given to minimising the impacts that this business has, while recognising the importance and growing international demand for access. "Table Mountain Cableway has been a finalist and winner in various categories of Imvelo since 2005, and in spite of its size has managed to hold its own against significant competition for recognition," said Dungan.

There are six categories for the Imvelo Awards which include Best Social Involvement Programme, Best Practice - Economic Impact, Most Empowered Tourism Business, Best Single Resource Management Programme and Best Overall Environmental Management System.