ACCRA: THE Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) has won the Excellence in Sustainable Tourism and Conservation Management Award at the Africa Business Forum & Awards 2026.
The award recognises Ngorongoro’s contribution to biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism development and the protection of its outstanding natural and cultural heritage.
The awards ceremony was held in Accra, Ghana, over the weekend, where NCAA Conservation Commissioner, Abdul-Razak Badru, highlighted the importance of promoting Africa’s natural and cultural heritage while ensuring lasting economic, environmental and social benefits.
He said the recognition reaffirmed the authority’s responsibility to safeguard Ngorongoro’s unique heritage while promoting responsible tourism and conservation.
“We exist to protect this living masterpiece, to share its wonders with the world and to inspire generations through the timeless story of Ngorongoro. This recognition reaffirms our responsibility to safeguard its extraordinary natural and cultural heritage while ensuring that conservation creates lasting value for people, nature and future generations,” Mr Badru said.
The latest accolade follows Ngorongoro’s success at the World Travel Awards, where it was named Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction in 2023 and 2025.
The authority continues to promote Ngorongoro as a destination that combines wildlife conservation, cultural heritage and tourism, while strengthening its international profile.
Established in 1959 as a multiple land-use area, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area allows wildlife to coexist with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists who practise traditional livestock keeping.
The area features extensive highland plains, savanna grasslands, woodlands and forests, as well as the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera.
Its significance extends beyond tourism, with diverse wildlife populations and threatened species contributing to its global conservation value. The area also forms part of the seasonal migration routes of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and other animals moving towards the northern plains.
Ngorongoro is also internationally recognised for its archaeological importance, particularly evidence of human evolution and the relationship between early human populations and their environment.