Certifications and awards of Paradise & Wilderness
When you plan a journey far from home, you want to know who you are traveling with. Certifications, awards and professional affiliations offer independent information about the way we work across Tanzania and Zanzibar. They provide additional assurance alongside the experiences shared by our travelers.
Within Paradise & Wilderness Group, recognition comes from different organizations and serves different purposes. Travelife assesses sustainability practices. Tripadvisor and Booking.com awards are linked to guest feedback. Tourism associations connect parts of our organization with professional networks in Tanzania, Zanzibar and across Africa.
On this page, we explain what these certifications, awards and affiliations mean, where they apply and why they can be relevant when planning your trip.
Talk to one of our travel consultantsIndependent recognition of how we travel
Not every badge represents the same type of recognition. A certification is based on defined criteria, an award may be based on traveler feedback and an association membership represents participation in a professional tourism network. Keeping those differences clear gives you a better understanding of what each recognition actually says about Paradise & Wilderness.
Certifications assess specific standards
Certifications such as Travelife assess tourism businesses against established sustainability criteria. These criteria cover environmental, social and economic areas of operation. The certification therefore focuses on specific business practices rather than general guest satisfaction.
Traveler awards reflect guest experiences
Awards from Tripadvisor and Booking.com are connected to ratings and reviews from travelers and accommodation guests. They provide insight into how people who have actually traveled or stayed with us experienced the service, accommodation and organization.
Professional affiliations connect us with the tourism sector
Tourism memberships are different from certifications and traveler awards. They connect Beach & Safari Holidays, a subsidiary of Paradise & Wilderness Group, with professional organizations that represent and support the tourism industry in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Africa.
Our Travelife recognition
Travelife is an international sustainability program for the tourism sector. Within Paradise & Wilderness Group, Travelife recognition applies to different parts of the operation. The Zanzibar accommodations listed below have Travelife Gold certification, while the Northern Tanzania operations of Beach & Safari Holidays are recognized separately through the Travelife Partner program for Tour Operators.
This distinction is important. Travelife Gold for accommodation and Travelife Partner for tour operators are related to the same sustainability framework, but they apply to different types of tourism businesses and activities.
Travelife Gold certified accommodations in Zanzibar
Beach & Safari Holidays currently lists four Zanzibar properties as Travelife Gold certified. Travelife assesses accommodation providers on environmental, social and economic criteria, including resource use, waste management, employment practices and support for local communities.
Travelife certification also works with continued assessment and improvement. This means sustainability is treated as an ongoing part of operating the accommodations rather than as a one time achievement.
More information about the certification program can be found on the official Travelife website.
Travelife Partner for Tour Operators in Northern Tanzania
The Northern Tanzania operations of Beach & Safari Holidays are recognized through the Travelife Partner program for Tour Operators. This program focuses on responsible business practices, relationships with suppliers and the social and environmental impact connected with organizing travel.
The Partner recognition applies to the tour operation in Northern Tanzania. It should therefore be viewed separately from the Travelife Gold certification held by the four Zanzibar accommodations.
For more information about the actions behind our approach, read about sustainable travel with Paradise & Wilderness.
Awards based on guest experiences
Certifications assess business practices, while traveler awards provide another perspective. Tripadvisor and Booking.com use feedback and ratings from guests to recognize travel businesses and accommodations. This makes these awards an additional source of information about how guests experience their stay or journey in practice.
Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award 2026
Paradise & Wilderness received the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award again in 2026. The award is based on guest experiences and reviews shared on Tripadvisor and recognizes businesses that receive consistently positive feedback from travelers.
According to Tripadvisor, the Travelers’ Choice recognition is given to the top 10 percent of listings on the platform. For Paradise & Wilderness, the award reflects feedback about many different parts of the journey, from the guides and organization to accommodations and activities.
The award itself gives an overall indication, but individual stories provide much more detail. Read the experiences of our travelers to see what guests say about their own journeys through Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Booking.com Traveler Review Awards 2025
The Booking.com Traveler Review Awards recognize accommodation partners based on reviews submitted by guests. In 2025, Dream of Zanzibar, Paradise Beach Resort and Zanzibar Bay Resort received Traveler Review Awards.
- Dream of Zanzibar: 9.0
- Paradise Beach Resort: 8.4
- Zanzibar Bay Resort: 8.1
These scores relate specifically to the Booking.com Traveler Review Awards 2025. They provide a snapshot of the guest feedback on which that year’s awards were based and should not be read as permanent review scores.
The recognition reflects the work of the teams at the accommodations, including the people responsible for hospitality, service and the day to day guest experience.
Tourism associations and professional affiliations
Paradise & Wilderness Group also has connections with professional tourism organizations through Beach & Safari Holidays. These affiliations are not certifications and do not replace independent guest reviews. They show participation in organizations that represent, connect and support businesses within the tourism sector.
African Travel & Tourism Association
Beach & Safari Holidays is a member of the African Travel & Tourism Association, also known as ATTA. ATTA is a pan African tourism network that represents tour operators, lodges, destination management companies, hotels and travel suppliers across the continent.
The association focuses on areas including responsible tourism, professional connections, training, representation and the development of tourism across Africa.
Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors
Beach & Safari Holidays is also a member of the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors, known as ZATI. The association represents hotels, resorts, tour operators and other tourism businesses active on Zanzibar.
ZATI works with tourism businesses, government and other stakeholders on topics including sector development, responsible investment, standards and the long term interests of tourism on Zanzibar.
Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
Beach & Safari Holidays is a member of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, known as TATO. The organization represents tour operators and travel professionals throughout Tanzania.
TATO is involved in tourism development, industry representation, standards and conservation related initiatives within the Tanzanian tourism sector.PA
DI 5 Star Authorized Partner
Beach & Safari Holidays is also listed as a PADI 5 Star Authorized Partner. This affiliation relates specifically to diving activities. PADI standards cover subjects such as instructor qualifications, recreational dive training, equipment, safety procedures and guest care.
For travelers who want to combine a journey through Tanzania with diving around Zanzibar, this affiliation provides additional information about the standards connected with those diving activities.
What do these certifications and awards mean for your trip?
Certifications, awards and memberships provide different forms of evidence. Together they can help you understand more about the organization behind your trip before making a decision. They do not replace your own travel preferences, but they can answer several practical questions about sustainability, guest satisfaction and professional involvement.
How is sustainability assessed?
Sustainability is assessed through Travelife recognition within different parts of the group. The four listed Zanzibar accommodations hold Travelife Gold certification, while the Northern Tanzania tour operation is recognized through the Travelife Partner program for Tour Operators.
What do previous guests say about their experience?
Guest experiences are reflected in recognitions such as the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award 2026 and Booking.com Traveler Review Awards 2025. For detailed accounts from individual travelers, our traveler experiences provide more context about guides, accommodations, safari routes and organization.
How is Paradise & Wilderness connected to the tourism sector?
Beach & Safari Holidays, a subsidiary of Paradise & Wilderness Group, participates in professional tourism organizations including ATTA, ZATI and TATO. These memberships connect the business with wider tourism networks in Africa, Zanzibar and Tanzania.
Recognition is one part of the complete experience
External recognition can help you assess a travel organization, but a certificate or award never tells the whole story. How a journey is organized, how guests are treated and what happens behind the scenes are equally relevant when choosing who to travel with.
Read real traveler experiences
Our travelers share their own experiences with guides, wildlife, accommodations, routes and the organization of their journey. These stories show what traveling with Paradise & Wilderness can look like in practice.
Read how we approach sustainable travel
Travelife provides an external framework, while our sustainable travel page explains the actions behind that recognition. There you can read more about our approach to people, communities, nature and responsible tourism.
Plan your Tanzania and Zanzibar trip with confidence
Independent recognition gives you more information about the organization behind your journey. The trip itself remains personal. The right route, accommodations and balance between safari and Zanzibar depend on how you want to travel.
Our travel consultants know Tanzania and Zanzibar and can help you put together a journey that suits your wishes. You can also browse our existing itineraries first to see what is possible.
Request personal travel advice View all trips in Tanzania and Zanzibar
Frequently asked questions about our certifications and awards
Below you will find answers to common questions about the certifications, traveler awards and professional affiliations connected with Paradise & Wilderness Group.
Which Travelife certifications does Paradise & Wilderness have?
Paradise & Wilderness Group has Travelife recognition across different parts of its operations. Beach & Safari Holidays lists Paradise Beach Resort, Zanzibar Bay Resort, Reef & Beach Resort and Dream of Zanzibar as Travelife Gold certified accommodations. The Northern Tanzania operations are recognized separately through the Travelife Partner program for Tour Operators.
Which Paradise & Wilderness accommodations are Travelife Gold certified?
The Paradise & Wilderness accommodations currently listed as Travelife Gold certified are Paradise Beach Resort, Zanzibar Bay Resort, Reef & Beach Resort and Dream of Zanzibar.
Has Paradise & Wilderness won a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award?
Yes. Paradise & Wilderness received the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award again in 2026. The award is based on reviews and experiences shared by travelers on Tripadvisor and recognizes businesses that consistently receive positive guest feedback.
Which Booking.com Traveler Review Awards has Paradise & Wilderness received?
For the Booking.com Traveler Review Awards 2025, Dream of Zanzibar was listed with a review score of 9.0, Paradise Beach Resort with 8.4 and Zanzibar Bay Resort with 8.1. These scores relate specifically to the 2025 award information.
Is Paradise & Wilderness affiliated with tourism associations?
Yes. Beach & Safari Holidays, a subsidiary of Paradise & Wilderness Group, is listed as a member of the African Travel & Tourism Association, the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors and the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators. Beach & Safari Holidays is also listed as a PADI 5 Star Authorized Partner. These are professional affiliations and are different from certifications and traveler awards.