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AWOL will
continue to strive to be a the leading local community benefactor, and
environmentally responsible tourism service provider.
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Awards & Achievements
AWOL’s Founder member and Director, Sally de Jager (now Petersen) was
nominated as Outhere Magazine "Adventurer of the year" finalist in
2001, on completion of a London to Cape Town cycling trip to raise
funds for ‘Survival International’.
In 2002 Sally was invited to be one of the founding members of a
non-profit organisation, Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) with the
aims to promote the use of the bicycle in all of its forms to enhance
low-cost, non-motorised, transport and health and access to
opportunity, employment, skills and education. In the same year AWOL
Tours initiated a bicycle tourism programme in the Masiphumelele
community of Cape Town in conjunction with the BEN. This programme
evolved from BEN’s importation of second hand bikes and the
establishment of Independent Bicycle Dealers (IBD) owned and operated
by local residents. AWOL’s guests hire bicycles from the BEN
IBD’s and we then conduct a tour of Masiphumelele incorporating local
businesses.
In 2006 through the efforts of AWOL Tours BEN was the winner of
the
First Choice Responsible Tourism Award for the category “Best for
Innovation and Technology” at the World Travel Centre in London. The
First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards are the largest of their kind
in the world and are collaboration between Responsible Travel; UK media
(The Times and Geographical Magazine); Conservation International; and
The World Travel. The central tenet of the Awards is that all types of
tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a
way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.
In 2008, the AWOL Bicycle Township tours received Fair Trade and
Tourism status and continued to expand and improve the community aspect
of the tour and strive to create sustainable livelihoods for the people
in Masiphumelele.
AWOL Tours was also a finalist for the 2008 Imvelo Responsible Tourism
Awards in the category Best practice - economic impact. The economic
impacts of tourism on local communities was recognised, including local
purchasing and economic practices, employment equity, Black Economic
Empowerment, employee training and development of and adherence to
general and industry-specific legislation.
In 2009, Sally Petersen Director of AWOL Tours was a finalist in the
City of Cape Town ‘Women in Tourism’ Awards. The City of Cape Town
honours remarkable women whose contributions to society and the economy
go largely unrecognised. Fast becoming one of Cape Town’s premier
events, this ceremony takes place every year at an awards ceremony that
is both supported and attended by leaders from Cape Town’s business,
social and economic sectors.
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