Now in their third year, the awards recognise outstanding organisations and individuals driving positive environmental, social and economic impact across Africa’s tourism sector and received more than 100 entries across ten categories.

Each winner received a trophy handcrafted by the FlipFlopi Project – an East African movement dedicated to ending single-use plastic pollution through community-led circular economies. Makers of the world’s first recycled plastic sailing dhow, the FlipFlopi Project embodies the values these awards exist to celebrate. The trophies were revealed for the first time on the night.

2026 ATTA® for Action Award Winners

• ATTA® Purpose & People Award — TAMàNA (Madagascar)
• ATTA® Earthkeepers Award — Gamewatchers Safaris (Kenya)
• ATTA® Eco-Innovation Award — Porini Safari Camps, Gamewatchers Safaris (Kenya)
• ATTA® Zero Waste Trailblazer Award — Sirikoi Lodge (Kenya)
• ATTA® Community Upliftment Award — Nomad Tanzania (Tanzania)
• ATTA® Marine Impact Award — andBeyond (South Africa)
• ATTA® Collaborative Impact Award — The Safari Collection (Kenya)
• ATTA® Traveller Education and Awareness Award — Blood Lions and Marine Dynamics (South Africa) (joint winners)
• ATTA® Media Voice for Action Award — Marco Barneveld, Wide Oyster Media (Netherlands)
• ATTA® Emerging Changemaker Award — Travel4Purpose (Kenya)

Each award category was assessed against rigorous criteria designed to identify organisations delivering measurable impact. From ethical wildlife experiences and marine conservation initiatives to community empowerment programmes, circular economy innovations and traveller education campaigns, the awards recognise leadership that goes beyond aspiration and demonstrates tangible outcomes.

The joint award in the Traveller Education and Awareness category – shared by Blood Lions and Marine Dynamics – was a direct reflection of the quality of entries. The judges recognised the two organisations as excelling in distinct but equally vital dimensions of the same challenge: one for advocacy and policy change, the other for direct traveller engagement and measurable conservation outcomes.

This year also marks the first time in the awards’ history that a single organisation has won across two categories in the same year. Gamewatchers Safaris and their Porini Safari Camps claimed both the Earthkeepers and Eco-Innovation Awards – a result that speaks to the depth and consistency of a conservation model nearly three decades in the making. In 2024, the inaugural year of the awards, they were recognised for their collaborative approach. TAMàNA, meanwhile, returns as a multi-year winner, claiming the Eco-Innovation Award in 2025 and, this year, recognised for heritage tourism leadership in an entirely different category. Marine Dynamics similarly becomes a two-time winner across the awards’ history, previously recognised for marine conservation and this year for traveller education – a testament to the breadth of their work.

Virginia Messina, Group CEO of ATTA®, said: “The ATTA® for Action Awards exist to celebrate the organisations and individuals proving that tourism can be one of Africa’s most powerful forces for positive change. Across the continent, we continue to see extraordinary leadership in conservation, community empowerment, cultural preservation and environmental innovation. In many ways, African tourism businesses have been pioneering responsible tourism practices for decades, often developing solutions that the wider global industry is only now beginning to embrace.

“As an association, we will continue to champion evidence-based responsible tourism, showcase innovation from across Africa, and provide our members with the knowledge, tools and inspiration they need to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. The future of African tourism depends on protecting the very people, places and wildlife that make the continent so extraordinary, and these winners are showing what that future can look like.”

The ATTA® for Action Awards form part of ATTA®’s broader commitment to advancing responsible tourism across Africa and supporting members in creating measurable, positive impact for people, places and the planet.

For a full list of winners and finalists, visit: https://awards.atta.travel/winners-finalists-2026/

ENDS

High res images can be found here

ABOUT ATTA®

The African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA®) is the leading trade association promoting tourism to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Through its global membership spanning the entire tourism ecosystem, strategic partnerships and internationally recognised events, ATTA® connects African tourism businesses with buyers, media and industry leaders worldwide, helping drive sustainable growth and opportunity across the continent. 
For more information, visit atta.travel.

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Issued by: Big Ambitions Brenda Walters
Email: brenda@bigambitions.co.za
Tel: +27 76 061 3114

EuroCollege, a Dutch private university of applied sciences, was honoured to participate in the Sigma International Tourism Green Lung initiative supported by SATSA (Southern African Tourism Services Association) through the planting of four indigenous trees at the historic Vergelegen Wine Estate in the Cape Winelands.

The activity formed part of an educational visit to South Africa by 23 EuroCollege students undertaking an international business study tour focused on hospitality, entrepreneurship, and future career opportunities. The tree-planting initiative was facilitated through a collaboration between EuroCollege, Dutch tour operator Pangea Travel, South African destination management company Inspiration Travel & Tours, and partners involved in South Africa’s Tourism & Travel Green Lung sustainability programme.

Vergelegen Wine Estate, one of South Africa’s most renowned wine estates, holds significant Dutch heritage, having been established in 1700 by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Against this historic backdrop, students were afforded the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to environmental sustainability by planting indigenous trees that will form part of a lasting legacy for future generations.

The initiative forms part of South Africa’s Tourism & Travel Green Lung programme, a national sustainability platform designed to support carbon reduction, ecological restoration, and community-linked tourism development through measurable and verified environmental interventions.

While the tree-planting activity was a highlight of the visit, it was the people of South Africa who left the most enduring impression on the students.

Throughout their journey, the group engaged with tourism operators, hospitality businesses, educational institutions, and entrepreneurs. The students were particularly impressed by the number of young entrepreneurs they encountered and the optimism, innovation, and determination they demonstrated.

The energy, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit evident across South Africa made a profound impact on the group. Many students remarked that they sensed something significant emerging within the country: a new generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders actively shaping the future.

“At EuroCollege, we believe that ambition recognises ambition. In South Africa, our students discovered a generation of young entrepreneurs determined to build the future.”

These student-led international study projects form an integral part of the EuroCollege educational philosophy, which encourages students to engage directly with real-world business environments and gain practical experience beyond the classroom.

Previous international destinations have included China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. South Africa now joins this distinguished list as a destination that has provided exceptional educational value and meaningful exposure to global business and tourism practices.

The visit also highlighted the growing importance of sustainability within the international tourism and hospitality sectors. By participating directly in a verified environmental initiative, students gained first-hand insight into how responsible tourism can create measurable environmental and social benefits while enriching the visitor experience.

Thanks to the warm hospitality and support received from South Africa’s tourism sector, educational institutions, and wider business community, EuroCollege looks forward to strengthening its relationship with South Africa in the years ahead.

As the four indigenous trees planted at Vergelegen take root and flourish, they will serve as a lasting symbol of collaboration, sustainability, and a shared commitment to developing the future leaders of the global tourism industry.

More info: Tourism & Travel Green Lung – Sigma International