Livingstone Tanzania Trust

How we realise our Objectives?

photo by Annabel Wormald

Poverty reduction

  1. We utilise local staff and service providers in the regions we visit and therefore inject money into the local economy
  2. We will be investing time and money into capacity building schemes that benefit the local communities
  3. We will be investing our income into rural community development plans
  4. Through inclusive participation schemes we will be linking the community to the local bodies of power

Culture promotion

  1. LTT is setting up links with schools, universities, and social organisations in order to promote and discuss the cultural aspects of Tanzania.
  2. LTT is seeking to make links with the media to promote the importance of culture on a global scale and will be seeking to open debate on how this vital part of life is ignored when conflicts arise, and how by improved cultural understanding greater peace and harmony can be developed and maintained.
  3. LTT takes visitors to a variety of places to see the different culture and to understand the impacts that environmental factors have on culture. (Weather, water, other people etc)
  4. LTT is constantly researching into the historical archives to understand the history of Tanzania and gain a better understanding of what life was like prior to colonisation, and then understand the impact that Germany and Britain had on Tanzanian culture.
  5. LTT are working to ensure that all our operations achieve the highest standards
  6. Through the greater understanding of cultural concepts and it's role in every aspect of our lives, we can start to understand how and importantly why people are different, and rather than persecuting people for their differences we can start to celebrate them , understand them, tolerate them and even learn from them.

Cultural value

  • 1. By promoting culture LTT seeks to help Tanzania understand and put into perspective their different cultures, and to value and treasure it.
  • 2. LTT understands that culture is ever changing and does not want to prevent Tanzania from developing its culture.
  • 3. Visitors will be able to discuss with local communities the differences in culture, both the successes and failures that both have witnessed. This will make Tanzanian society think about the impacts that development might have and so build in suitable controls to ensure that their sustainability is not compromised.

Community projects

  1. The Rural Integration Project that was rolled out nationally by central government, sought to build capacity in local communities for them to recognise their own development needs and to seek assistance from the authorities in developing them. This is a bottom up approach that is more likely to address the real rather than perceived needs of the community and thus is the best forum for resolving problems prioritised by the community. LTT seeks to work within this structure to assist them realise their goals.
  2. LTT will not provide all the resources required to a community, there must be a partnership arrangement whereby the community provide what it can in terms of unpaid labour, bricks, refreshments etc.
  3. LTT will operate with the assistance of local authorities and will seek to ensure that the authorities also provide resources to help in local projects. 
  4. LTT will only provide the assistance that cannot be provided locally, which may be needed to help the projects progress.
  5. LTT will work closely with Tourism Concern and Responsible Travel to ensure that best practice is undertaken when employing local people to ensure a fair wage.

Pro-poor strategies

  1. LTT will seek to follow the basic principles of pro-poor tourism by analysing the links on the value chain and identifying opportunities for additional poverty relieving schemes.
  2. LTT will encourage all it's partners to follow similar strategies to encourage high employment and opportunities for outsourcing some operations

Sustainable practices

  1. LTT seeks to ensure that it's operations work in close harmony with the people to provide benefits for today and safe guard the opportunities of future generations.
  2. LTT will seek to ensure that its operations have as minimal negative impact on the ecology of Tanzania.
  3. LTT can arrange, at the visitors request, for fruit trees to be planted to offset the carbon footprint caused by its operations.
  4. LTT will work with it's service providers to ensure their practices follow, as close as is reasonably practicable, sustainable guidelines

Responsible Tourism

LTT believe that Responsible Tourism is tourism that should:

  1. minimize negative economic, environmental and social impacts
  2. generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well being of host communities; improves working conditions and access to the industry
  3. involve local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances
  4. make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage embracing diversity
  5. provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues
  6. provide access for physically challenged people
  7. be culturally sensitive, encourages respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.

LTT recognizes this definition and seeks to always ensure it's operations can be defined as Responsible Tourism as defined above