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STTA Young Change-Makers Outdoor Connect at Nairobi National Museum The STTA Young Change-Makers Programme reached a new milestone on Saturday, 26th July 2026, with the third instalment of its innovative Outdoor Connect activity. This time, the destination was the iconic Nairobi National Museum, a space where Kenya’s natural, cultural, and artistic heritage comes alive. Following earlier visits to...

*27 June 2026* STTA Young Change-Makers Outdoor Connect at Nairobi War Cemetery The STTA Young Change-Makers Programme continued its newly launched Outdoor Connect activity on Saturday, 27th June 2026, with a visit that shifted the focus from waste management to heritage, memory, and the ethics of tourism. The destination was Nairobi War Cemetery, a beautifully maintained Commonwealth War...

*24 June 2026* STTA Young Change-Makers Outdoor Connect at TakaTaka Solutions The STTA Young Change-Makers Programme launched its bold new Outdoor Connect activity on Wednesday, 24th June 2026, with a visit that set the tone for everything to follow. The destination was TakaTaka Solutions, East Africa’s largest waste management company, and the experience proved to be a powerful...

We were honored to be invited to the Ladha Za Africa Culinary Awards Ceremony held at Boma International Hospitality College, a powerful celebration of African gastronomy, innovation, and the future of hospitality. The event reaffirmed a critical truth: food is no longer just culture; it is strategy, identity, and a driver of sustainable tourism growth...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sustainable Travel & Tourism Africa Announces Africa’s Top 10 Sustainable Tourism Trends for 2026 Nairobi, Kenya – January 2026 — Sustainable Travel & Tourism Africa (STTA), under the leadership of Judy Kepher Gona, has released its much-anticipated report: Africa Sustainable Tourism Trends 2026. The report identifies ten transformative trends shaping the future...

On Saturday, the 22nd, we hosted the #sttachangemakers End-of-Year Symposium at the Boma International Hospitality College. We were honoured to welcome our Chief Guest, Mr. Oli Dreike, Footprint & Sustainability Director at The Safari Collection, who spoke on this year’s theme: “𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.”The symposium brought together 204 #youthintourism representing 16 universities...

Facilitator: Dominic Wanjiru, Climate Lead, Sustainable Travel and Tourism Africa In his workshop session, Dominic opened by addressing widespread perceptions surrounding climate change, particularly the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. He acknowledged the fear and sense of overwhelm that many individuals and organizations face when confronted with the scale of the climate...

Speaker: Dr. Ruth Kimaiga, Head of Planning and Corporate Strategy, Tourism Regulatory Authority Dr. Ruth Kimaiga’s presentation centered on the Tourism Regulatory Authority’s (TRA) role in accelerating sustainable tourism through the use of innovative and structured public policy. She began by grounding her remarks in the legal and institutional framework under which the TRA operates....

Speaker: Prof Bonface Kihima, The Technical University of Kenya Professor Kihima’s presentation focused on innovative approaches to community inclusion in the tourism sector, advocating for a decisive shift from extractive models to collaborative systems that center local communities as agents of their own economic and social progress. He underscored the fact that for local communities,...

Over the last two decades, there have been dynamic shifts in the sustainable tourism landscape; from legislation to entry of new players and emergence and redefinition of concepts. But if you ask me where the most dynamic shifts have unfolded, I’d point straight to the social impact space. Changes here have been fascinating, and at...

Speaker: Ben Peterson, Founder and CEO, Purple Elephant Ventures In his presentation, Ben presented an argument that the tourism industry is, by and large, failing to achieve genuine sustainability and regeneration. He estimated that only a small fraction around 5% of the industry truly prioritizes sustainability, while the majority engage in minimal, often superficial efforts...

We continued strong into the second quarter of the year, hosting and attending several events within the industry. Here’s our Q2 quarterly newsletter outlining everything we did. To keep up to date with our upcoming events visit events.sttakenya.org or Follow us on social media @sttakenya or @sttafrica

Speaker: Prof Marina Novelli, Director of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Advanced Research Centre (STTAR-C), Nottingham University Business School In her presentation, Prof. Marina outlined a broader vision aimed at challenging the existing systemic failures within the tourism ecosystem. The focus was not merely on short-term fixes, but on promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism development...

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻!We are pleased to share that our team lead, Judy Kepher-Gona, has been appointed Honorary Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Nottingham University Business School for a period of three years from August 1, 2025.This prestigious appointment is a testament to Judy’s unwavering dedication, thought leadership, and outstanding contributions to advancing...

Speaker: Dr. Amy Scarth, Founder, The Whys Dr. Amy Scarth’s presentation delivered a deeply reflective and critical analysis of travel philanthropy, moving beyond the often simplistic and romanticized notions of charitable giving in tourism. Drawing from a qualitative study conducted in rural communities near national parks, she invited the audience to interrogate long-held assumptions about...

Speaker: Marta Gras, Enkopiro Camp, Maasai Mara Marta Gras presented a compelling case for a paradigm shift in cultural tourism interactions, advocating for more meaningful, respectful, and collaborative engagements with local communities. Drawing from her experience working with the Maasai community in Kenya, she critiqued the often superficial nature of typical tourist interactions that treat...

Speaker: Marissa Volkman, Project Manager, GLP Films Marissa Volkman’s presentation, more of a visual storytelling masterclass, looked into the power of strategic storytelling in promoting sustainable travel and positioning hotels as ideal destinations for soft adventure and responsible travelers. Through striking visuals and clear narrative structure, she unpacked how stories can be used not just...

Speaker: Mr. Nobert Talam, Director General, Tourism Regulatory Authority Mr. Talam outlined Kenya’s tourism sustainability strategies while presenting the country’s ambitious targets of increasing international tourist arrivals to 3 million by 2024 and 5 million by 2027. These goals are not only about growth in numbers but are rooted in a vision of responsible and...