Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Northern Cape targets Namibian tourism

Windhoek - The Northern Cape Tourism Authority will return to the Namibian Tourism Expo this week to showcase the unique tourism offerings of South Africa’s largest province.
The destination marketing organisation will attend this highly popular exhibition from June 6 - 9 to once again forge valuable relationships with tourism role players from neighbouring countries and around the globe.
The Northern Cape forms an integral part of the Cape-to-Namibia route as the Namaqua and Green Kalahari regions are en-route for travellers to Namibia.
“The Northern Cape is an essential gateway to Namibia and offers travellers the ideal opportunity to explore the truly exceptional natural and cultural offerings of the province. We have a mutually beneficial relationship with our tourism partners in Namibia as this allows us to further engage with an already existing audience.
“In terms of value for money and the diversity of outdoor and adventure experiences, the Northern Cape is undoubtedly unique,” stated Dianna Martin, General Manager: Marketing and Promotions with the Northern Cape Tourism Authority.
A number of tourism regions, namely Green Kalahari Tourism and Namakwa Tourism, will join the Northern Cape Tourism Authority at stand G23 in the Gourmet Hall.
Upington is at the epicentre of the Green Kalahari region, which is home to the mighty Orange River, the impressive Augrabies Falls and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
The Namaqua region is world famous for its flamboyant floral kingdom, which is considered to be the richest bulb flora arid region in the world, as well as the rugged |Ai-|Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and the best star-gazing on earth at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland.
Several SMME operators from the Northern Cape, including Aukwatowa Tours and Tata Ma Tata Tours, will also join the show as part of the NCTA’s ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable development of tourism partners in the province.
Other tourism partners and role players sharing the stand include Boundless Africa, Umkulu Safaris, Orange River Wine Cellars and several route partners; the Kalahari Red Dune Route, the Quiver Tree Route and Richtersveld Route.
Visitors to the Northern Cape stand will be able to explore numerous reasons why the province is a must-see on any travel itinerary.
The unique flavour and flair of this vast province offer a truly remarkable holiday destination with unforgettable, enriching experiences ranging from cultural encounters to great weather, amazing adventures and natural beauty and wildlife.
All this is encompassed with the innate sense of being embraced by community and the indigenous warm hospitality of the province.
The Northern Cape has proven itself as a mecca for adventure and extreme sports and will not only be hosting the prestigious Maloof Money Cup skateboarding world championships for the next four years, but will also be the venue for the Bloodhound Supersonic Car world land speed record attempt in 2013 and 2014.
It was extremely proud to further announce a new event, the first-ever annual Speedweek Club event in Africa for both vehicles and motorcycles. It will be officially known as the Kalahari Desert Speedweek and will be held on Hakskeenpan from Sunday Aug. 5 2012 to Saturday 18 Aug.

Derived from: New Era

Monday, June 4, 2012

Namibia one of the greatest African wildlife recovery stories

FORTY-TWO per cent of Namibia’s land is under conservation management. This makes Namibia one of the countries with the largest conservation area.
At independence in 1990, only 13 per cent of the land area in Namibia was under conservation management.
Namibia’s 42 per cent is no mean feat considering that Belize has 36 per cent, Zambia 35 per cent, Botswana 30 per cent and South Africa 12 per cent under conservation.
The areas under conservation include national parks and protected areas, communal conservancies and freehold conservancies.
There are currently 71 gazetted communal conservancies in Namibia, covering over 18 per cent of the country. There are also 19 freehold conservancies, formed by commercial farmers grouping together as conservancy associations.
Namibia is also the only country where the elephant population grew by a third between 1995 and 2008.
Translocated black rhinos are expanding their range as Namibia is leading Africa in moving black rhino out of national parks into the safety of communal conservancies. The country also has the largest population of wild cheetah and the largest annual game count in the world takes place in Namibia.
It is also the only country in Africa with expanding free-roaming giraffe and lion populations.
The ranges and numbers of lion populations from the Caprivi wetlands, where the black-maned lions prey on the African buffalo, to the Skeleton Coast where documented numbers have risen from just 25 in 1995 to well over a hundred today, make Namibia one of the greatest African wildlife recovery stories ever told.
There are 42 established joint-venture lodges and campsites, which makes Namibia a world leader in developing a tourism product that contributes to conservation and community development.
The first four conservancies were formed in 1998 after legislation made it possible for communities to have the same rights over wildlife as commercial farmers, who were allowed to hunt on their farms.
For the first time, rural communities could generate income from conservancies through trophy hunting.
Conservancies are meant to protect wildlife and its habitat, so having rights over wild animals does not mean unlimited hunting.
Game guards from the community are employed by the conservancy to patrol and deter poachers. The guards also assist the Ministry of Environment and Tourism with the monitoring of the annual game counts. The ministry also sets the quotas for hunting to allow the wildlife populations to grow.
Conservancies have rights over tourism operators and investors who want to open lodges and the two parties enter into a joint partnership with the conservancy for the benefit of all. The conservancy shares in the income from the lodge and also benefits from job opportunities created from the joint ventures.
Namibians are invited to experience the conservation journey of the country at the annual Tourism Expo. Guides from different conservancies will be on hand in Hall M at the Windhoek Showgrounds to show visitors around and talk about their conservancy.
Growing... Namibia's elephant population has grown by a third between 1995 & 2008
Derived from: The Namibian
By: Tanja Bause

Thursday, May 31, 2012

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Cabinet approves opening of hunting season

WINDHOEK - Cabinet officially approved the opening of the 2012 hunting season.
The type of game species that may be hunted are three large game species or two large game species and four small game species, or one large game species and eight small game species or 12 small game species.
Large game species are kudu, oryx and red hartebeest. A hunter may not hunt more than one kudu during the hunting season. Small game species are springbok and warthog.
Various bird species may also be hunted. Hunting permits will only be issued to farm owners or lessees and in case of a conservancy, to the Conservancy Committee, while no permits will be issued directly to a hunter.
Permits are issued upon submission of a written invitation to the prospective hunter. The invitation must contain the name and address of the farm owner or lessee or conservancy, name and address of hunter, name, number and district where farm or conservancy is situated, type of fencing and whether it is registered, total number of animals to be hunted, period of hunt and the invitation must be signed by the farm owner or lessee or committee.
Each permit costs N$100 and is available at the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Karasburg, Keetmanshoop, Mariental, Gobabis and Otjiwarongo.
For the Kunene and Otjozondjupa regions, permits can be obtained at the ministry’s offices at Outjo, Grootfontein, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Derived from: New Era

Monday, May 28, 2012

Namibia's Wild Horses grow in number

AUS - The number of feral horses in the Namib Desert has been increasing and now stands at 220 horses.
The figure for the horses roaming the area around Aus settlement and Lüderitz in the Karas Region had increased from 160 in 2010 to 180 in 2011.
During the most recent count some two weeks ago, a total of 220 feral horses were observed.
Sperrgebiet National Park ranger Alex Mowa, an employee of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, provided the figures to Nampa upon enquiry on Friday.
The figure of 220, however, only accounts for the wild desert horses that were counted at Garub Waterhole, so it is not clear whether there are more animals in the plains.
Mowa told Nampa that apart from vehicles that hit and kill feral horses, as the animals frequently cross the roads in search of grazing and water, the animals’ lives are normally not in any danger, as there are no predators in the desert to hunt them.
“As a result of this, their numbers continue to rise, which is good for tourists, as these amazing animals fascinate visitors who come to our beloved country,” he said.
The ranger, who is stationed at Aus, explained that the horses are also reproducing well, especially because the area received good rains over the past two years.
“The area where the horses roam can support more than 220 horses so there is no problem with the carrying capacity. We have also not detected any signs of disease. The ones that die are those that are old when nature takes its course,” Mowa said.
The horses graze in an area covering approximately 350 square kilometres in the Namib Desert.
The actual origin of these animals is still not clear. However, speculation is that they might be descendants of horses used during the German colonial war in Namibia.
Some theories point to a ship with a cargo of horses and other domestic animals, which ran aground along the Skeleton Coast in the late 19th century, about 25 km south of the Orange River mouth – roughly 200 km from Garub.
Some feral horses might also have originated from the Schutztruppe mounts, or from those belonging to a South African Expeditionary Force that took control of the Lüderitz- Keetmanshoop line during the First World War. - Nampa

Derived from: New Era