How One Safari Camp is Making it Easier to Give Back to the Local Community

Travelers are increasingly looking for ways to positively impact communities they visit, particularly in remote destinations like safari camps. Tipping is one impactful way for guests to show appreciation to staff at Safari camps like Bushtops who are employed from the community to help prevent poaching and provide support for their tribes. Bushtops guests commonly form close bonds with the staff as they learn about wildlife and conservation, often leaving them with the desire to give back.

However, in recent years, many travelers have shifted their payment preferences to cashless and contactless, leading to a decrease in the amount of cash carried while traveling. Bushtops Safari Camps co-founder, Andrew Stuart noticed this trend and wanted to find a way for guests to give back to the people who play a crucial role in preserving their culture as well as recognize the hard work of his staff.

Drawing on his expertise as a marine engineer and his work in creating the cutting-edge Roving Bushtops mobile safari tents, Andrew came up with the idea for an app that lets guests give directly to the staff, known as Asante Tip.  Asante Tip is a digital tipping app that allows guests to tip staff with ease through a simple QR code scan eliminating the need for cash while making the process of tipping more seamless and meaningful. With flexible payment methods and multiple tipping options available, guests can contribute directly to individual employees or distribute tips across the entire team.

While digital tipping is beginning to gain momentum across the hospitality space with major brands like IHG and Hyatt already partnering with similar platforms like eTip and Grazzy, Bushtops is demonstrating how even boutique properties can benefit from embracing this technology. By creating the technology themselves, Bushtops provides guests with an easy way to give back to the community and avoids having to pay services and fees to other digital tipping platforms.