Africa: The Birthplace of Glamping

Africa has been called the birthplace of humanity, but we could also argue that it is the birthplace of glamping too.

The African safari mobile camps have offered luxury in nature since the 17th Century, but the origins go even further back to trading routes between the African and Arabic lands. In fact, the word safari originates from the Arabic verb ‘safar’ which means to make a journey.

Africa now offers much more than just the traditional safari tent option to today’s travellers. Unique accommodation abounds and many African countries are now involved in developing new types of nature-based tourism.

In May this year, Business Insider Africa ranked the top 10 economies in Sub- Saharan Africa enabling Travel and Tourism development as follows:

1. Mauritius

2. South Africa

3. Botswana

4. Kenya

5. Tanzania

6. Cape Verde

7. Namibia

8. Rwanda

9. Zambia

10. Ghana

Much of the attraction of glamping in Africa is obviously focused on the amazing wildlife that can be found but this can also be a challenge for hospitality operators. In Kenya, safaris take place in the National Parks and Reserves, with the Masai Mara Game Reserve still the most popular with international guests.

In June of this year, The Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife launched a new strategy that seeks to diversify the country’s tourism offering, moving away from dependence on Safari and Beach tourism. Dubbed “the new vision for Kenya’s tourism” the strategy will provide a road map for the sector and will shape the future of Kenya’s tourism industry by providing a framework that details how to successfully develop sustainable tourism in Kenya.

In Namibia, however, the wild animals are not contained in national parks but still roam freely. This poses a unique challenge for Journeys Namibia – a management company that takes the strain off lodge owners by taking care of the day to day running of lodges.

Marta Bormioli Gambardella was present at the Eco Resort Network event. She says, “The more specialised tourism becomes, the more we recognise the necessity and importance of promoting Namibia’s hidden treasures. We are tremendously proud to be part of a country that protects more than 44% of its land surface under some kind of conservation policy, allowing wildlife to roam freely.”

“In Journeys Namibia I follow the international marketing and the conservation as we are starting to link a nature conservation project to each lodge. We think it is really important for tourism to support environment conservation as well as the wellbeing of the local communities. “

Rwanda looks set to be a country to watch in terms of new development. It is famous for its Mountain Gorillas, whose numbers are actually on the rise – thanks in part to tourism. This is as a result of a joint effort by scientists and government to save gorillas and help the human communities around them, with a key role played by tourists. However, the consumer tourism potential hasn’t delivered on its early promise as yet and some of the businesses tied into the tourism ecosystem have struggled, especially owners of mid-range hotels. We know of a number of eco tourism projects looking for funding to attract the many visitors looking to see the gorillas, who then disappear back over the border to Uganda to stay.

Shipwreck Lodge, Namibia

Journeys Namibia

Mauritius tops the bill for economies allowing for tourism development. While most of the tourism on the island is understandably beach-based, there is a new exciting urban glamping project being developed by Astrid Arlove. OBOĒ Ltd. is being built from shipping containers and will be a cultural hub for native Mauritians and travellers to the island.

“It will be an Eco Urban Boutique hotel where business meets community and technology meets nature,” says Arlove, who is utilising solar power in the design and creating spaces for performance and art, which will be for sale via a custom app.

One of the most unusual eco tourism projects in Africa was announced at our Slovenian event by Bill Bensley, the leading experiential architect and interior designer. He is involved in a project in the Congo “This is one of the most exciting projects we have had in a long time,” he says. “We are going to the French Congo – the safe side – we are going to open up with a series of five, six-tented camps. In Ozala there are three different camps – one inspired by African Grey Parrots that flock in their thousands. Another one is all about the gorillas and another about the hyenas and the anthills that are in this giant plain. Then you go north to a place called the Trinational Park – mostly in the Congo but some of it is in Cameroon and some in the Central African Republic (CAR) – there are two new camps up there which are among the chimpanzees and the elephants and something that looks very strange called the bongo – a mix between an antelope and a zebra.

Bill Bensley

“We are elevating the camp on high stilts as the forest elephants are aggressive and everything is connected by bridges. You can see gorillas, chimpanzees, the tiger fishing is magnificent, there are elephants and the elusive bongo. It is extremely exciting.”