An interview with Jane Fox of Foxes Safari Camps, a Gold Responsible Tourism Award winner in the 2025 WTM Africa and in the Global Responsible Tourism Awards.
In this in‑depth conversation, Harold Goodwin, founder of ICRT global, interviews Jane Fox of Foxes Safari Camps following the company’s Gold Award in the 2025 Responsible Tourism Awards for Responsible All‑Inclusive Hotel. The discussion explores the origins of the Fox family business, its deep-rooted connection to southern Tanzania, its long-standing commitment to self-sufficiency, community employment, conservation, and innovation, and its leadership in redefining what responsible all‑inclusive tourism can look like.
Origins: A Business Born of Place
Jane begins by recounting the family history behind Foxes Safari Camps. The company’s roots stretch back to 1982, when the family built Raha River Lodge in the remote southern highlands. As she explains, “the family ended up in the… Mufindi area through my father‑in‑law, who got a job there as a tea planter in the 50s” . The family spent holidays exploring the region, taking long walking trips and camping. Eventually, they decided to build a lodge. Jane jokes that the initial motivation was simply “so they could get a cold beer at the end of the day” .
At the time, Tanzania’s socialist economic system meant little private investment and tight controls on foreign exchange. The idea of building a lodge was unusual enough that the park warden encouraged them to “build wherever you want to”. They chose a spectacular bend in the river, where the lodge still stands. For twenty years, they were the only tourism operator in the area.
Goodwin observes that the business seems “born of the area,” not imported from outside. Jane agrees, noting that her mother‑in‑law Vicky who she describes as “a farmer by nature”had already established a smallholding to supply food locally, and that self‑sufficiency was essential in those early years when supplies could not be purchased. “You had to be able to be self‑sufficient in those days… to manage anyway” .
Self‑Sufficiency and the Circular Economy—Long Before It Was a Trend
Goodwin suggests that Foxes Safari Camps were practicing circular economy principles decades before the term existed. Jane agrees: “It’s quite recent that it’s a buzzword… but yes, very much, it’s always been like that, right from the beginning” .
This ethos extends across their operations:
The interview highlights how these practices emerged organically from the realities of operating in a remote region, rather than from external sustainability frameworks.
Local Employment and Skills Development
One of the most striking features of the Foxes’ award application was that 90% of employees come from the immediately local community. Jane explains that they invest heavily in training: “We do do a lot of training. We do more and more training, actually” .
Staff typically begin in entry-level roles—dishwashing, room cleaning, basic hospitality—and receive structured training from visiting hospitality instructors. Those who show interest can join the annual guide training programme, which all guides must attend every year. Chef trainers are also brought in to develop culinary skills.
This long-term investment has created multi-generational employment: “I see their children now starting work as well, which is very gratifying” .
Goodwin notes that the industry often suffers from high staff turnover, but Jane says Foxes Safari Camps experience relatively little of this, except for occasional poaching of skilled guides.
Gender and Guiding
When asked about gender balance among guides, Jane acknowledges that all current guides are men. The company has had excellent female guides, but cultural norms and the challenges of remote living make it harder for women with families. “It is still a very male‑orientated society in Tanzania” , she says, though the company remains open and encouraging to women.
Inclusion and Disability
Goodwin highlights the unusual reference in their application to facilities for the “differently abled,” a term more common in India than Africa. Jane explains that Tanzanians are naturally accepting and practical: “It’s very much more an attitude of, well, this is how somebody is, let’s just get on with it” . This cultural approach makes it easier for guests with disabilities to enjoy their stay without feeling singled out.
Community and Conservation Trust
The Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust grew out of decades of informal support to local villages—building wells, roofing classrooms, and other community projects. Eventually, the family formalised this work into an NGO. Jane emphasises that “all the money literally does go to projects on the ground… it’s doing really good stuff… supporting families, children, doing a lot of youth training” .
Innovation: Building Their Own Safari Vehicles
One of the most extraordinary elements of the application, Goodwin notes, is that Foxes Safari Camps were the first in Tanzania to introduce specially adapted open safari vehicles. Jane explains that her brother‑in‑law Peter, a mechanic and pilot, designed and built them himself. “He strips them down and rebuilds them” using old ex‑army Land Rovers, which are easier to maintain in the bush than modern electronic vehicles .
Responsible All‑Inclusive: Challenging Misconceptions
Goodwin closes by discussing the controversy around the “all‑inclusive” category. Many in the responsible tourism movement believe all‑inclusive models cannot be responsible. Foxes Safari Camps challenged that assumption.
Jane acknowledges the stigma but she argues that the term covers far more than people realise, and that their product is deeply embedded in local ecosystems and economies and fits the definition even if they never thought of themselves that way.
Goodwin praises their courage in entering the category and notes that their win, alongside Club Marvy from Turkey demonstrates that all‑inclusives can be responsible when operated with the right ethos.
Conclusion
The interview paints a vivid picture of a family business whose responsible practices emerged not from external pressure but from decades of living and working in remote Tanzania. Foxes Safari Camp’s model of self‑sufficient, community‑rooted, conservation‑driven, and innovatives offers a compelling counterpoint to stereotypes about all‑inclusive tourism. As Goodwin concludes, Foxes Safari Camps is“an outstanding example of what can be achieved… to bring sustainable development to a remote part of Tanzania”
Enjoy the video below and read the full citations of 2025 Global Responsible Tourism Award Winners
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