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About Altezza In 2024, Altezza Travel became an affiliate member of UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization), the only United Nations agency that accepts non-governmental members. Affiliate membership offers a formal platform for private companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations to contribute to the global tourism agenda alongside national governments.
Today, UN Tourism has just 500 affiliate members. Among them are industry leaders like Expedia, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Airbnb. Gaining admission is challenging. The application process is highly selective — according to the latest figures from 2023, only 31 out of 143 applicants received provisional approval.
Tanzania is currently represented by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), and Altezza Travel. We are proud to be the only private Tanzanian company on the list.
In this article, we will share how we joined UN Tourism and our role in its work.
Why and how we became a member of the UN Tourism
Since 2014, we’ve worked in Tanzania's wildlife tourism industry and seen its most pressing challenges firsthand – from declining wildlife populations and shrinking natural habitats to illegal deforestation, low wages, and the exploitation of porters on Mount Kilimanjaro. We've responded by supporting the Serengeti De-snaring Project, partnering with Kilimanjaro Porter Assistance Project to improve porter welfare, planting trees in the Kilimanjaro region, and raising our team compensation to the highest levels in the industry, among numerous other initiatives.
Since 2025, Altezza Travel has been a Travelife Certified company. It is the highest certification level a company can get from Travelife. Of the approximately 700 tour operators registered in Tanzania, only five have it. Learn more in the article about our path to getting certified.
You can read more about these and other efforts on our sustainability blog.
But over time, we came to see that these problems aren’t unique to Tanzania. Many developing tourism destinations face similar struggles. That realization led us to seek out partnerships with companies that not only share our values but also have the capacity to drive change on a global level. We wanted to learn from their successes and share our own.
The most effective way to do that was through UN Tourism. This organization brings together pre-screened members with a proven track record in sustainability. Joining isn’t just a matter of signing a pledge – companies must demonstrate measurable progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our first step was to secure a recommendation from our local government in Kilimanjaro, which we obtained thanks to our status as the region’s largest taxpayer and leading tourism employer. Then came the formal application. The UN reviewed our legal and financial records, assessed our contributions to Tanzania’s tourism development, and eventually approved our application.
Following that review, the UN Executive Council soon admitted Altezza Travel as an official Affiliate Member. On June 14, 2024, during a vote held in Madrid, Spain, our membership was formally approved. To further verify our membership you may check the UN News release.
Our responsibilities as a UN Tourism Member
As a UN Tourism affiliate member, our primary responsibility is to continue advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: eradicating poverty, improving access to education, creating decent employment opportunities, reducing inequality, promoting responsible consumption, addressing climate change, and protecting terrestrial ecosystems.
Bringing field experience to global tourism policy
We understand the daily challenges that tour operators face, particularly in developing countries. Through our membership, we participate in UN Tourism forums where those on the ground can share their perspective. These discussions help shape the organization’s policy guidelines, which are then circulated among tourism ministries worldwide to inform national tourism strategies.
Submitting annual progress reports
Each year, before July 31, we submit a Communication on Progress report. This is more than a checkbox exercise. The report includes over sixty questions divided into four core areas: governance, human rights and labor, environment, and anti-corruption. As a member, we are expected to show real progress in each of these areas — and we do.
We’re committed to staying part of this organization and continuing to contribute meaningfully for years to come. As we engage in global discussions, our focus remains grounded in Tanzania. We believe that meaningful change begins locally – by supporting our mountain crews, investing in conservation, and strengthening the tourism economy from the inside out.
All content on Altezza Travel is created with expert insights and thorough research, in line with our Editorial Policy.
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