The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has named Singita Pamushana, one of Singita Game Reserve’s nine low-impact game lodges, the Global Winner in conservation during the 6th Annual Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

Found within the beautiful 130,000 acres of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve of South-Eastern Zimbabwe, Singita Pamushana has become a little-known secret in the world of high-end tourism. Perhaps the greatest aspects of the Singita Pamushana lodge are the environmental contributions it has provided to the Malilingwe.

The Malilingwe Wildlife Reserve is solely owned by the Malilingwe Trust, which is dependent upon private donations and proceeds from tourism to accomplish their goals of environmental conservation. The primary goal of the Singita Pamushana game lodge is to provide a meaningful contribution to the Malilingwe conservation effort, which is done by using the income produced by Singita’s high-end tourism model. The long-term goal is to revitalize Zimbabwe’s wildlife and tourism industries as well as the native ecosystems.

Since Singita Pamushana opened for business, the Reserve is now home to the finest quality and variety of wildlife in Zimbabwe. Seventeen animal species, including the endangered Black Rhino, Roan Antelope and Lichtenstein’s Hartebeests, have been reintroduced successfully, with animal populations showing incredibly impressive growth. Visitors can see animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, a number of different antelope, and an endangered species called the Painted Hunting Dogs.

There are over 400 avian species, including 14 different eagles and 9 species of owl. In addition to the 38 diverse ecological zones on the property, Singita Pamushana is also home to over 80 professionally maintained, 2,000 year old sites of historical rock art. Singita is also involved in community outreach programs, which include a feeding scheme for 22,000 local preschool children, the employment of 250 local Zimbabweans, and the provision of potable water to 10,000 local people.

While it goes without saying that Luke Bailes, CEO of Singita Game Reserves, is deserving of endless commendations for his company’s accomplishment in conservation and sustainability, it is also necessary to commend two other finalists for the WTTC Conservation Award. The Fregate Island Private resort, (2 photos, above) part of the Seychelles Islands north of Madagascar, is responsible for rehabilitating native island terrain, soil and flora, as well as reintroducing native animal species, all of which had been displaced by previous human traffic.

The Jane Goodall Institute/Budongo Ecotourism Development project in Uganda (photo, below) is also deserving of an honorable mention, as this organization is responsible for the placement of over 200,000 acres of forest, local outreach and environmental education, the construction of woodlots, and the training of tour guides and chimpanzee habituators.

It is through the efforts of people and organizations such as these that we can achieve a prosperous and sustainable relationship with our environment.