MOU launched at Africa’s Travel Indaba signals a new phase of structured, certification-led support for South African hospitality businesses navigating increased scrutiny.
The Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) and Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), formalising a strategic partnership aimed at advancing responsible tourism practices across Southern Africa’s hospitality sector.
The agreement was signed on 22 April 2026 and officially launched at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 by Jaya Naidoo, General Manager FEDHASA KZN & Eastern Cape and FTT General Manager Grace Stead, establishing a framework to promote and advocate for responsible tourism principles and practices among their members and the broader industry. This includes providing educational opportunities (such as webinars, workshops, and digital learning hubs), networking, capacity-building, and market access, as well as collaborating on policy, research, projects, and events that encourage ethical tourism.
The partnership will also help to advance the tourism industry’s operational standards, with partners agreeing to meet quarterly to share relevant information and updates, review progress, and identify new opportunities. This ensures alignment across both organisations and avoids duplication or unnecessary competition.
The timely partnership comes as 45% of international travellers turn to accommodation with certified sustainable credentials, according to Booking.com’s 2024 Sustainable Travel Report. At the same time, the EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (Directive 2024/825), which becomes binding from 27 September 2026, is reshaping the terms on which international markets engage with tourism products. It is evident that, for South African hospitality businesses competing for international visitors, verified sustainability credentials are fast becoming a prerequisite for market access.
“Responsible tourism, once a niche positioning strategy, is now the direction the global market is moving in, and South African hospitality needs to move with it,” said Naidoo. “Our partnership with FTT gives our members a direct connection to one of Africa’s most credible and established responsible tourism certification frameworks. This is FEDHASA in action: removing barriers, opening doors, and ensuring our members have what they need to compete and lead.”
FTT is a leading African responsible tourism certification body, operating across South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. Its certification standard, which is independently reviewed and confirmed as compliant with Travalyst initiative, encompasses fair wages and working conditions, equitable distribution of benefits, ethical business practices, and environmental stewardship.
“South Africa’s tourism recovery is significant – 10.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, as reported by the National Department of Tourism. But recovery alone is not enough. The businesses that will thrive in the next decade are those that can demonstrate, credibly and verifiably, that they are operating in a way that is good for both people and the planet,” noted Stead.
“FEDHASA’s membership represents a notable portion of South Africa’s hospitality industry, and this partnership means we can reach them with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to make that transition at scale,” she explained.
The partnership will be reviewed annually and is in effect for an initial period of 36 months. The signing marks the beginning of a collaboration that both organisations intend to build on progressively, with joint initiatives to be announced in the months ahead.
