communal conservancies: JOINT VENTURE TOURISM IN NAMIBIA’S
PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE
This is your dream holiday come true: the expansive space you’ve been craving, spectacular views and stunning wildlife, warm hospitality and exquisite accommodation. These words could describe a multitude of lodges and campsites in Namibia, so why, when you are presented with so much choice, should you choose to stay at a conservancy joint venture property? The answers are rooted in a commitment to conservation, communities and the future, where despite low season blues, community members can count on the conservancy joint venture partnerships for benefits and Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) can count on concession fees from these private sector partners that help to protect some of the most vulnerable wildlife and spectacular places on the planet. Namibia’s communal conservancies encompass over 20% of the country’s land, from the rivers of the Zambezi to the mountains of the Kunene, from the baobab studded forests of the east to the deserts in the south. One in four rural Namibians is a resident of a communal conservancy, where community members have the rights and responsibilities to use their natural resources sustainably, including making the bold choice to live with wildlife. Decades of hard work and dedication by conservancy members have led to incredible results: the expansion of wildlife range and numbers, preservation of unique cultures, and the opportunity to partner with world-class tourism establishments to offer authentic travel experiences where your stay contributes directly to conservation and community development. These tourism partnerships are called joint ventures. They are contractual agreements between communities who have the tourism rights to an area and private sector tourism operators who provide funding and expertise. But the commitment goes much deeper than a contract or a cheque. Joint venture partnerships change lives. In remote areas in Namibia, where economic development is limited and the principal commodities are space, spectacular landscapes and stunning wildlife, rural communities and their joint venture partners have created conservation-based economies. Private sector joint venture tourism partners invest in developing stunning lodges and camps and then providing training, employment and opportunities to community members. In turn, communities have a vested interest in providing the best possible experience to guests, thus building the value of this shared asset and protecting the landscape and wildlife that attracts the world’s most discerning guests.
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