Stellenbosch has taken a significant stride in shaping its future as a sustainable destination. Under the leadership of CEO Annemie Liebenberg and with support from Stellenbosch Municipality, Visit Stellenbosch hosted a member engagement event on 15 September to launch its Destination Sustainability Toolkit.

I facilitated the workshop, taking Visit Stellenbosch members through a structured exploration of the sustainable tourism landscape, including regenerative tourism and inclusive socio-economic development. Having led Visit Stellenbosch’s regenerative tourism journey since its inception in 2020, I also focused on what this means in practice for tourism businesses: doing the work, measuring progress, and communicating results credibly.

International sustainable tourism research for 2025 and 2026 was presented, underscoring a critical shift in global travel trends — sustainability has become a booking filter. Against this backdrop, the Stellenbosch toolkit was introduced, giving members practical guidance to share with visitors and helping them make more mindful, sustainable choices during their stay.

The event concluded with a collective understanding that destination sustainability cannot be achieved by individual businesses working in isolation. Collaboration, knowledge‑sharing, and mutual support will be essential as members work toward their own and Stellenbosch’s destination sustainability certification.

I emphasised that this journey is not only about certification. It is about the kind of destination Stellenbosch chooses to be, and the kind of experience it wants visitors to have.

Annemie Liebenberg concluded that “the next chapter is about doing it together,” reinforcing collaboration as the cornerstone of sustainable tourism.

With the launch of the toolkit, Stellenbosch has entered a new era — one where both members and visitors are part of a collective vision for sustainability, and where tourism becomes a force for building a stronger community.

Visit Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch Municipality
Western Cape Government, Cause Development Agency, #sustainabletourism #regenerativetourism