Namibia pushes to develop trans-border eco-tourism to foster regional development
Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) sent a delegation to South Africa to assess progress in the development of cross-border tourism products and events within the /Ai /Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and commitments that were made before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Namibian delegation travelled to Pretoria, South Africa from Nov. 2 to 4, the NWR said in a statement on Monday.
The /Ai /Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park is a cross-border park straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia. It was formed in 2003 by combining the Namibian /Ai /Ais Hot Springs Game Park and the South African Richtersveld National Park.
NWR Managing Director, Matthias Ngwangwama in a statement expressed excitement in efforts to revive the transfrontier commitment, highlighting how activities such as the desert night cycling activity that last took place in 2017, as well as desert kayak trails, brought about innovative and sustainable ways to raise funds for conservation activities in the Park while creating short-term jobs and training opportunities.
"With the cycling race that involved competitors having to pedal day and night across the beauty of the /Ai /Ais National Park, we saw throngs of adrenalin hunters enjoying themselves and creating a strong marketing for Namibia and the park. We hope to see the same soon again. This means more revenue for Namibia in terms of tourism," he said.
According to Ngwangwama, the NWR as a member of the Joint Management Board as per the treaty is the national implementing agency in Namibia as per its mandate of managing tourism facilities in national parks
The treaty is a commitment between the government of Namibia and the South African government to foster transnational collaboration and cooperation between the parties. This will facilitate effective ecosystem management in the area comprising Transfrontier Park.
