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Karatu Based Eco-Lodge Wins Award
Arusha, Feb 05, 2010 (Tanzania Daily News/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
THE Karatu based tourism and cultural lodge, 'Gibb's Farm' has won the 2010
Responsible Tourism Showcase Award from the Educational Travel Community (ETC) in the US. Known as an eco-lodge, Gibb's farm which is located adjacent to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and near Karatu, received the honour for its sustainable tourism ethics.
"Gibb's Farm is exactly the type of community-based initiative that ETC seeks to recognize for its positive contributions to conserving the local environment and cultural heritage, while also providing economic benefits for the community," reads a statement from ETC founder and president, Mara DelliPriscoli.
"It will be a great pleasure to recognize Arusha (Gibb)'s important work."
The ETC is among the most respected travel organizations in the US, with thousands of members that include university travel programmes, museums, zoos, conservation organizations, tour operators, travel planners, and tourism boards from around the world.
Ms Judi Wineland, co-owner of Gibb's Farm, will receive the award at this year's ETC conference in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday.
The annual conference which runs from February 2-6 attracts more than a thousand ETC members each year. Wineland will feature as one of the speakers for the conference's 'Winning Strategies for Sustainability' seminar.
"I am honoured to receive the award on behalf of Gibb's, and I thank everyone at ETC," said Wineland. "There are so many people at the farm and in the surrounding communities who are committed to sustainability. It's a special place."
Deeply rooted in the surrounding communities of the Ngorongoro Highlands, Gibb's Farm employs more than 150 local people and offers unparalleled programmes for healthcare, retirement, mirco-loans, and indigenous knowledge training. The former colonial coffee estate has more than 80 years of history and received its name from its longtime owners, James and Margaret Gibb.
Today the lodge remains genuinely committed to preserving both its surrounding cultures and environment and includes one of the largest solar panel arrays in northern Tanzania, an extensive greywater recycling and irrigation programme, and nearly 45 acres of organic farms and gardens that provide more than 80 per cent of gourmet meals served to guests.
The Osero Forest Clinic is quickly becoming an outstanding model for both integrative healthcare inTanzania and for an innovative approach to cultural tourism. Through the African Living Spa, the clinic gives travellers tranquil, extraordinary experiences through massage and healing techniques based on traditional Maasai practices.
As modern health practitioners collaborate with traditional Maasai healers, the clinic also provides primary care for more than 500 people in the community, including almost all of Gibb's employees.
In 2009, Conde Nast Traveller recognized Gibb's Farm with a World Savers Award for their outstanding contributions to education, wildlife, and health initiatives in the communities.
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