Sossusvlei mal wieder

Good Morning People in Tourism.

As a courtesy to all members herein, just short update: our legal team and consultants are in progress of cross-checking the points raised within our Press Release. The same will be shared once completed.

Now - In short:
- no meeting is scheduled for today on site, although top officials of the ministry are set to visit our operations, as well as an official delegation from the government, and we are also in comms with the warden MEFT team here on the ground
- ⁠the off road area rehabilitation phase is beginning.
- ⁠Access to Tour Operators and Lodge operators, continues still.
- ⁠THE SECURITY GUARDS - have been requested to merely log entries into the off road concession area, for record keeping, since people have sometimes not returned from the area, for that matter entry/exit into the concession area is just checked. DO NOT let guides/drivers/visitors immediately think they are being recorded to pay.
- ⁠The control BOOM that is there (not a gate) is just to mitigate traffic flow.
- ⁠We have firm confirmation that there is NO OTHER agreement/authority in place by any other operator to offer services in that area - which our legal team is now addressing as well. More to this interesting development soon.

Was ich der Mitteilung nicht klar entnehmen kann ist, ob ich als Privatperson mit meinem (Miet-) Wagen noch reinfahren darf oder nicht. @Christian. Weisst du da genaueres?

Also mal wieder so ein Fall von etwas Neues wird eingeführt ohne zu informieren und auch die vor Ort haben keine Ahnung.

Good Morning Tourism Colleagues.

*<CLARIFICATION>*

NO Tourism Operator that makes use of a 4x4 Excursion Service that we offer from 4x2 Parking into the off-road concessional area to Deadvlei/Big Mama, will pay ONCE CENT MORE, than what you have been paying so far, or for the rest of 2024, or better yet, until an actual announcement from my office for a price interest is shared / distributed.

Should any operator require an operator, and want to make use of our services, you pay what you paid. N$ 180

More importantly, if you have paid and bought for NWR tickets, far ahead, and NWR is not able to refund you - DON’T LOSE IT!!!! Stay Calm! We will NOT make you pay again. Show the ticket, you / your client, goes on the excursion.
I will comp that on my end, and you have NOTHING to worry about.

Moving forward:
I am working on the system that will allow you to purchase any vouchers/tickets ahead of time, as needed. The pricing structure where/when/how/if it changes, will be communicated, so that planning / adjusting for that can take place.
This is intended to save time, and client flow, reducing waiting times by elevating efficiency..

I realise the KEY is communication, and that still stands. Let me be VERY clear, my office did not communicate anything at all, because there was no intention to change anything at all. Announcements as needed will come, especially from the Ministry, which is why I have not released our Press Release.

But, in the meantime, and with regard to keeping all our sanity, anyone is more than welcome to communicate with me, and I will assist whichever way I can, because the KEY factor here, is that because of the love and passion for Namibian Tourism, I hold each person part of that in high regard.