EcoTraining, Africa’s leading field guide training and environmental education provider, has been named ‘Best Education Abroad Provider’ at the 2025 Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs). The awards were announced on 26 September 2025 during the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) in Lisbon, Portugal.
Global Recognition for Conservation Education
Hosted by the WYSE Travel Confederation, the annual GYTAs honour organisations that deliver impactful and responsible youth travel experiences. EcoTraining was recognised as a pioneer in conservation education, helping young people connect with wild spaces, develop practical environmental skills, and build careers in professional nature guiding.
A Milestone for EcoTraining
“This award is a massive honour and a tribute to our exceptional EcoTraining team,” said Anton Lategan, Managing Director of EcoTraining. “Our Head of Sales, Natalie Bochell, received this award in Europe on behalf of our passionate instructors, staff, and students. We’re inspired to take environmental education and professional guide training to new heights.”
For more than 30 years, EcoTraining has redefined learning beyond the classroom. Students live and study in nature-based camps across South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya, gaining hands-on experience in the field. Through wildlife tracking and daily immersion in the natural world, they develop confidence, ecological insight, and a lifelong conservation ethic.
EcoTraining’s philosophy promotes ecosystem thinking, nurturing a new generation of conservation-minded leaders – from gap-year travellers to professionals seeking a career shift.
EcoTraining at Selinda: A New Era in Botswana
In 2026, EcoTraining launches a new collaboration – EcoTraining at Selinda Wilderness Experience – in partnership with Great Plains Conservation. Beginning January 2026, participants can combine luxury with learning at Selinda Explorers Camp, located in Botswana’s 130,000-hectare Selinda Reserve between the Okavango Delta and Chobe.
This initiative marks a shift from traditional tourism to purpose-driven engagement, offering four specialised learning experiences:
- EcoQuest – an introduction to ecology and conservation
- Wilderness Photography
- Birding in the Bush
- EcoTracker
These immersive courses cater to learners, career changers, and seasoned safari-goers who want more than adventure – they want knowledge, connection, and purpose.
“EcoTraining at Selinda is for those who seek more than a safari – they want understanding, impact, and connection,” added Lategan.
“This collaboration cultivates a new generation of nature-based leaders in Africa’s most precious wild spaces.”
