18 Oct 2024
The new shuttle from the car park for sedan cars and buses to the Sossusvlei offers more than just the drive. Closed vehicles with air conditioning are also used. And the drivers also act as guides.
This was explained by the CEO of About Africa, Heiko Dörgeloh, when asked by Namibian.org. About Africa was awarded the concession for the shuttle service at the beginning of the year in a tender process of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT).
The shuttle transports guests from the car park at the end of the tar road to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei as well as to the highest dunes in the world, Big Mama and Big Daddy. The route is about 5 kilometres long and consists partly of deep sand.
"We call our tours 4x4 excursions", says Dörgeloh. There is a choice of VW Caravelle minibuses, Toyota Fortuners and open and closed four-wheel drive vehicles for several guests.
The excursions cost 200 Namibia dollars for adults (10.50 euros; current value, 1 N$ = 1 ZAR) and 100 Namibia dollars for children. Previously, the price for the shuttle was 180 Namibia dollars. Tickets can also be booked in advance with About Africa. An online booking system is in the pipeline.
Soon visitors to Sossusvlei will also be able to buy cold drinks. The concession allows a kiosk to be set up there. The demand is enormous, says Dörgeloh: "Guests keep asking us whether we have any drinks with us."
The previous provider of the shuttle to the Sossusvlei, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), announced a change to its tours at the beginning of the week. The starting point is no longer the car park 5 km from Sossusvlei.
Instead, guests will board at the NWR campsite near Sesriem. This is where the approximately 60 km long tarred road begins, which leads from the gate of the Namib Naukluft Park to the 2x4 car park 5 km before Sossusvlei.
However, even this does not comply with the MEFT concession. The concession grants About Africa exclusive rights for tours to the Sossusvlei. Dörgeloh confirms to Namibian.org that NWR is actually only allowed to transport overnight guests.
This refers to a heated debate within Namibia's travel industry in early September when About Africa took over the shuttle service from NWR (see report by Namibian.org). Key question: Who will be allowed to drive to the Sossusvlei themselves in future?
The answer: Lodges in the area with their overnight guests, tour operators registered with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and self-drivers with four-wheel-drive vehicles. "This applies until further notice", adds Dörgeloh, "at least until MEFT announces further changes."
MEFT has long been considering steps "to preserve the environment to meet the criteria of a World Heritage site." Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei are located in the Namib Sand Sea, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Reckless self-drivers have repeatedly driven through the landscape beyond the designated corridors to the Sossusvlei.
The concession for About Africa has a term of 25 years and also requires that the communities in the district benefit. This concerns the inhabitants of Maltahöhe and members of the !Karkhoen-Nama who live in the area.
CEO Heiko Dörgeloh expects concession fees for the communities to total more than 100 million Namibia dollars. That would be around 4 million Namibian dollars per year. The prerequisite would of course be that the exclusivity of his tours is guaranteed.
Sven-Eric Stender
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