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More than a mountain to climb |
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Edition 47: Summer 2009 With over 40 Kilimanjaro climbs to his name, Gavin Bate has more than a love for the mountain – he has a special bond with the Tanzanians who help him reach the top. Sadly, he sees many companies who are more intent on maximising profits than on looking after the welfare of the locals they employ.
Despite the dedicated efforts of organisations promoting the welfare of workers on Kilimanjaro, the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities have still not laid down a mandatory payment structure for them, currently offering only ‘guidelines’ of around USD$10 per day for a porter. Admittedly, officials have now ensured that workers are not overloaded and that they have adequate equipment, a big step up from a decade or so ago when men were dying while carrying 30kg in flip-flops.
Local firms, keen to gain regular contracts with foreign tour operators, cut costs to offer the most competitive rate, knowing that price is still the main deciding factor in business decisions. And with most costs on Kilimanjaro being fixed (park fees etc), the obvious variable for cutting costs is salaries. Porters, who are generally illiterate farmers, tend to be the easiest to exploit. Even when fair wages are promised, some companies use innovative ways of scamming the workers, such as making hefty deductions for food and equipment. Some porters still earn just US$20 per week after such deductions, despite lugging 20kg up and down the mountain. Tips are therefore still a source of income often far in excess of the salary.
Some Western companies, whose business is simply about marketing a product in a glossy magazine or website, are often unaware of the exploitation they are unwittingly supporting, happy only to get a ‘good deal’ from a local operator who is canny enough to keep the truths hidden. In reality, these companies have no actual investment or resources in Tanzania; they simply outsource it all and slap a company sticker on the top.
I believe that if you are going to sell holidays in a developing country, you have to have a business model that will provide some progress for the people you employ there. This involves being accountable for all your staff, including those who are working for your contractors. Strict rules on pay structure, health and welfare, insurance, equipment and training are something that Western companies should voluntarily accept. However, this should not then become a selling point labelled ‘ethical tourism’ or some other similar marketing phrase – it is simple conscientious common sense and what is morally right. Offering kitemarks for ‘fair practices’ upheld by organisations like the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC) serve only to highlight the fact that so many companies cut corners to make more money. Professing ignorance about ‘how things are in Africa’ is no defence either; if you’re in the business, then you should find out.
I have climbed Kilimanjaro 42 times, but I continue to visit twice a year to check the cost of living in Tanzania, regularly sitting down for a few beers with all my staff. I have a strong desire to see all their livelihoods improve, as well as make my own reasonable profit. To me, it has a lot to do with the reason why you started a company running trips to Kilimanjaro in the first place. If it’s only about making profit from an outsourced product, then something is very wrong in the world of adventure travel.
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