Tribes demands that Legacy Hotels Group stops...

PRESS RELEASE … PRESS RELEASE … PRESS RELEASE … PRESS RELEASE …

29 November 2006

Tribes demands that Legacy Hotels Group stops their planned huge tourism development in a World Heritage Site next to Victoria Falls in Zambia

Tribes, the Fair Trade TravelTM company, announced today, 29 November 2006, that it will boycott use of Legacy Hotels Group of South Africa due to their appalling planned development in World Heritage Site of Mosi-oa Tunya National Park in Zambia, which includes the Victoria Falls.

Whilst the Zambian government have given Legacy a tourism concession here, UNESCO has told the hotel group that their planned development of a massive 18-hole golf estate including two hotels, 500 chalets and a country club would be “irresponsible” and that they would mount a worldwide campaign to discourage tourists from visiting the area. Legacy themselves have apparently admitted that the development will cause “irreversible ecological damage”.

Mosi-oa Tunya National Park is one of Zambia’s greatest natural assets. It includes Victoria Falls – one of the seven natural wonders of the world - as well as a fragile and hugely important area of riverine rainforest, woodland and grassed areas, plus a section of the Zambezi River from 5km below and 35km above the Falls. There are about 400 bird species in the National Park and 30 species of large mammal. It is environmentally and scientifically extremely important.

Tribes is a specialist UK tour operator which works on Fair Trade and responsible travel principles. The company offers tailor made holidays to Africa (including Zambia and South Africa), South America and parts of Asia. They were the Global Winners of the Responsible Travel Awards in 2005 and the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in 2002.

Legacy Hotel Group is a South African company with a portfolio of luxury hotels, resorts and bush lodges in various countries including South Africa, Namibia, and Tanzania. Their flagship hotel, the Michaelangelo is recognised as one of the Leading Hotels of the World.

Director of Tribes, Amanda Marks, said: “We think that a campaign to stop this development should begin BEFORE it gets underway, and the prime elephant habitat on the banks of the Zambezi is bulldozed ready for such a travesty".

She continued, “We very much hope that Legacy will think again about their plans here, and make the right decision based on ethics and preservation of a World Heritage Site, rather than simply on money. Certainly it would be good for Zambia to have the income and jobs which such a development would bring, but does it really need to be IN Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park?”

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