Windhoek, 07 November 2022 – The Managing Director of Namibian Wildlife Resorts, Dr Matthias Ngwangwama, formed part of the delegation that travelled to Pretoria, South Africa from the 2nd to the 4th of November 2022 to assess progress in developing Cross-Border tourism products and Events within the|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and commitments that were made before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ǀAi-ǀAis/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 ǀAi-ǀAis Hot Springs Game Park and the South African Richtersveld National Park. The treaty is a commitment between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and the Government of the Republic of South to foster transnational collaboration and cooperation between the Parties. This will facilitate effective ecosystem management in the area comprising the Transfrontier Park. In addition, the treaty undertakes to develop trans-border eco-tourism to foster regional socio-economic development.
Expressing his excitement in efforts to revive the transfrontier commitment, the Managing Director of NWR, Dr Ngwangwama, highlighted 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 /Ai/Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier 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 the park. We hope to see the same soon again. This means more revenue for Namibia in terms of tourism,” he said.
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.
