Elewana Collection announced in its June 2026 newsletter that every camp and lodge in its Kenya portfolio now holds a Gold Eco Rating from Ecotourism Kenya. That is a real, audited status, not a marketing badge a hotel group can print on its own website. Touring Insights dug into what the rating actually checks, which Elewana camps carry it, and how you can confirm it yourself before booking.
Eco labels get thrown around loosely in East African tourism. Some are self-issued. Others come from third-party bodies with published standards and site visits. Ecotourism Kenya’s Eco-Rating Certification Scheme falls into the second group, and Gold is its top tier. Knowing what that tier actually requires helps you judge whether “eco-friendly” claims from any camp, not just Elewana’s, mean something or nothing.
What the Ecotourism Kenya Eco-Rating Scheme Actually Is
Ecotourism Kenya launched the Eco-Rating Certification Scheme in 2002 with tourism industry stakeholders. It certifies accommodation facilities, not tour operators, against a published set of environmental and social standards. Properties are scored and awarded one of three tiers: Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
The scheme held GSTC-Recognized status, meaning the Global Sustainable Tourism Council reviewed it against its own baseline criteria, from October 2016 through the end of 2024. That recognition period has since lapsed, which is worth knowing if you see a camp cite “GSTC-recognized” as a current claim rather than a historical one. The underlying Ecotourism Kenya audit and rating itself still runs independently of that GSTC status.
What Gold Certification Actually Verifies
Gold is not a participation badge. To reach it, a facility must first meet every Bronze and Silver requirement, then go further. Auditors from Ecotourism Kenya visit the property and assess it against a fixed checklist covering:
- Energy use and conservation measures, including renewable sources such as solar
- Water sourcing, treatment, and consumption per guest
- Waste management, including sorting, composting, and disposal of non-biodegradables
- Pollution prevention, covering greywater, noise, and light near wildlife areas
- Guest education, meaning how the camp briefs travelers on local conservation rules
- Investment in surrounding communities, from employment ratios to funding for schools or clinics
For Silver and Gold specifically, the facility must also submit a written Responsible Tourism Report and an Environment Management Plan. Gold requires the property to show innovative, above-standard practice in at least some of these categories, not just compliance with a minimum bar. It is a documentation-heavy process, and ratings are reviewed periodically rather than granted for life.
The audit itself is not a paperwork exercise done from an office. Ecotourism Kenya assessors visit the property, walk the kitchen, water treatment area, staff quarters, and waste storage, and interview staff about protocols before scoring the facility against the published checklist. A camp cannot simply fill in a form and mail it back. That site-visit requirement is part of why the scheme carries weight with travel advisors, even without current GSTC recognition backing it.
Which Elewana Kenya Camps Carry the Rating
Elewana’s Kenya portfolio spans four ecosystems. Individual camps have picked up Gold status at different points, and Elewana’s June 2026 newsletter confirmed the full Kenya set now holds it.
| Camp | Location | Ecosystem | Nearest Airstrip | Wilson Airport Flight Time (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elewana Tortilis Camp | Amboseli National Park | Amboseli | Amboseli Airstrip | ~35-40 min |
| Elewana Sand River Masai Mara | Maasai Mara National Reserve | Maasai Mara | Ol Kiombo Airstrip | ~45 min |
| Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp | Mara North Conservancy | Maasai Mara ecosystem | Kicheche/Musiara Airstrip | ~45 min |
| Elewana Lewa Safari Camp | Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | Laikipia | Lewa Downs Airstrip | ~45-50 min |
| Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp | Loisaba Conservancy | Laikipia | Loisaba Airstrip | ~50-55 min |
| Elewana Loisaba Star Beds | Loisaba Conservancy | Laikipia | Loisaba Airstrip | ~50-55 min |
Fees at these properties combine standard park or conservancy entry with a nightly conservancy fee that funds the wildlife and community programs the rating checks for. Maasai Mara National Reserve entry runs an indicative $80-100 per person per day. Conservancy fees at Lewa and Loisaba typically add another indicative $80-120 per person per night on top of camp rates, since those are private conservancies funded largely through tourism. Amboseli National Park entry runs an indicative $60-80 per day. Always confirm current fees directly with the camp, since conservancy boards revise them periodically.
How Gold Compares to Other Labels You Will See
Not every “eco” claim in East African safari marketing comes from the same place. It helps to know which body sits behind a label before you weigh it in a booking decision.
| Label | Issuing Body | Country | What It Requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze/Silver/Gold Eco-Rating | Ecotourism Kenya | Kenya | Third-party audit, tiered checklist, site visit, periodic review |
| TREE Certification | Responsible Tourism Tanzania | Tanzania | Similar tiered, audited standard for Tanzania properties |
| GSTC-Recognized (historic) | Global Sustainable Tourism Council | International | Scheme-level review against global baseline criteria, not property-level |
| Self-declared “eco-friendly” | The property itself | Anywhere | No external audit; can mean anything or nothing |
Elewana’s Tanzania properties carry TREE certification through Responsible Tourism Tanzania rather than Ecotourism Kenya’s scheme, since that program only covers Kenya. If a Tanzania camp on your itinerary cites an “eco rating,” it is a different audit body entirely, and the two are not directly interchangeable.
Elewana is not alone in pursuing this route. Other Kenya operators hold Gold-level certification too, including several Porini camps and Sasaab in Samburu. Gold is becoming a common baseline among upper-luxury camps, not a rare distinction. That shift matters for travelers comparing operators. A growing pool of Gold-rated options means you can filter for it without narrowing your choice of location or price bracket.
Why This Matters Beyond the Marketing Copy
A Gold rating is a signal you can act on, not just read past. It tells you the camp has documented water and energy systems. It also has a waste plan that goes beyond a bin behind the kitchen, and a community investment record an outside body checked. For travelers choosing between two similarly priced camps in the same conservancy, that documentation is a reasonable tiebreaker. It also matters for the conservancy model itself. Camps like Lewa and Loisaba fund wildlife corridors and community programs directly from guest fees. A well-run, audited property is more likely to reinvest those funds as intended, rather than just collect them.
It is not a guarantee of a better game drive or a nicer tent. Rating tiers say nothing about service quality, food, or wildlife density. Treat Gold as one input alongside reviews, location, and price, not a replacement for any of them.
Explorer Notes
A few things worth knowing before you lean on any eco-rating in your planning. Ratings are not permanent. Ecotourism Kenya reviews facilities periodically, so a Gold status from several years ago should be reconfirmed, not assumed current. Camps sometimes list a rating on their own site without the current certificate date, so check the issue year where it is shown. Ratings also apply per property, not per company. A hotel group’s press release covering “our full Kenya portfolio” is worth checking against the individual camp listings, since audits happen camp by camp even when the announcement is bundled. Finally, conservancy fees and park fees are two separate line items on your safari quote. A high eco-rating does not mean lower fees. It usually means the fees you already pay are funding programs an outside auditor has actually inspected.
What to Read Next
- Comparing conservancy-based camps to reserve lodges? See our eco-lodge versus classic safari lodge guide for Amboseli.
- Planning a Mara North Conservancy stay? Read our eco-lodge versus luxury lodge guide for the Maasai Mara.
- New to conservancy fee structures? Start with our Kenya safari money guide for how fees, tips, and camp rates break down.
FAQ
What is the Ecotourism Kenya Gold Eco Rating? It is the highest of three tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold) in Ecotourism Kenya’s audited certification scheme, launched in 2002. Gold requires meeting all lower-tier standards plus demonstrating innovative practice in energy, water, waste, and community investment.
Which Elewana camps in Kenya hold the Gold rating? Elewana’s June 2026 newsletter states its full Kenya portfolio holds Gold status. That includes Tortilis Camp in Amboseli, Sand River and Elephant Pepper in the Mara ecosystem, and Lewa Safari Camp and the Loisaba properties in Laikipia.
Is a Gold Eco Rating the same as GSTC certification? No. Ecotourism Kenya’s scheme itself held GSTC-Recognized status from 2016 through 2024, but that is scheme-level recognition, separate from an individual property’s Bronze, Silver, or Gold rating.
Does a Gold rating mean a camp is cheaper or better rated for service? No. The rating covers environmental and community practices only. Check separate reviews for service, food, and guiding quality.
How can I verify a camp’s eco-rating myself? Check Ecotourism Kenya’s own list of eco-rated facilities rather than relying only on a camp’s marketing page, and note the certification date shown.
Curious which Gold-rated camps fit your Kenya itinerary? Visit our Tour Packages page to compare conservancy stays by ecosystem, or reach out to one of our partner operators for current availability and fees.
