Spotlight: EcoTours & Travel Uganda

Spotlight: EcoTours & Travel Uganda

How it started:

Our team had worked with the nonprofit Organic Perspectives on environmental projects involving agroforestry, organic gardening and alternative household energy with rural smallholder farmers in Uganda’s remote communities of Kamuli & Buyende since 2007.

Then, we realized that whereas environmental degradation (especially the relentless deforestation in the countryside) is at its height, there is little involvement of the foremost stakeholders affected by the quality of environmental sustainability: the tourism and travel industry. EcoTours & Travel Uganda was then born—out of Organic Perspectives.

How it works:

We run a “green travel” service for travelers visiting any part of Uganda, provide safari tours to all of Uganda’s popular ecotourism destinations and implement environmental projects in community forestry and sustainable household energy, to offset travel-related CO2 emissions while supporting local people.

Our travel service is a form of Green Travel, as this is primarily intended to raise funds to support our reforestation and alternative household energy projects with rural smallholder farmers in the Uganda’s heavily deforested remote countryside.

Who do you work with?

1. Rural smallholder farmers in Uganda’s deforested countryside
2. Local and international travelers to help them offset their travel CO2 emissions
3. All stakeholders in the ecotourism industry as our industry partners
4. Individuals and Organizations anywhere in the world that would recommend our practical approach to Responsible Travel to their audience, employees or the general public

How can I get involved?

As volunteer, you will join our team in training local farmers on agroforestry, organic gardening, as well as renewable and energy efficient biomass stove technologies. Please see our volunteers page for details!

Traveling to the Philippines at just 8 months old, Shawna grew up loving all things related to travel and serving abroad. She is passionate about helping others travel safely and make the most of their time abroad.