Community based tourism in Namibia: quick guide

What we do

ComMark and tourism-support organisations in Namibia have identified several causes that inhibit a meaningful participation by the poor in the tourism industry. The issues in Namibia were multi-faceted with opportunities for “stepping up” (increase in market share for community tourism enterprises) as well as “stepping out” (new markets and job opportunities for communities).

Between 2003 and 2007, ComMark supported the rapidly growing community-based tourism (CBT) sector in Namibia. The main processes of this support included:

1. Investigation of constraints to private sector investment in rural conservancies;

2. A review of the Namibia Community Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) & its role in support of CBT in Namibia;

3. Development of a BEE Charter for the private sector Federation of Namibian Tourist Associations (FENATA);

4. Phase 1 of a national audit of Namibia’s tourist assets for the Namibian Tourism Board, as the basis for more effective marketing in tourism generating markets; and

5. Assistance to the establishment of a structure for tourism satellite account production.

Why this intervention

ComMark was well positioned as a temporary facilitator on issues directly related to M4P challenges in community tourism in Namibia. CBT in Namibia had many actors conducting activities in conflicting and unsustainable ways. The positive early successes of community tourism needed to be substantiated – an objective made even more important with the withdrawal of several international donors. Community based tourism was regarded as a separate sector that was guarded from the overall tourism industry and supported independently. Thus, to ensure a full integration into the tourism industry and working according to market dynamics, challenges in the regulatory and policy environment needed to be overcome. Further, we needed to address the internal structure and operations of support organisations.

ComMark also sees the findings of the Namibia approach – regarded as pioneers in Africa – as models for adaptation and replication in tourism development across Southern Africa.

What we achieve

The intervention of ComMark has achieved following results:

1. A policy and regulatory adaptation that enables the leasehold rights to be vested with host communities (conservancies) which allows for mutually beneficial joint venture agreements with private sector operators;
2. The identification of financial and empowerment issues forming the barriers to tourism investments on communal land in Namibia;
3. A proposed new structure for the NACOBTA membership organisation that secures its existence and mandate in the future development of tourism in Namibia;
4. A BEE charter and proposal for financial products to incentivise broad based black economic empowerment in the Namibian tourism industry;
5. A detailed and comprehensive product audit used by the Namibian Tourist Board in segment marketing in generating markets; and
6. The first tourism satellite account published and subsequent additional accounts have been published by the Namibian Tourist Board on a regular basis.

Requests for additional support were formulated during the time of ComMark’s presence in the country and the Windhoek office is staffed with a full-time tourism specialist.

How is this sustainable

The intervention was primarily aimed at creating the sustainability of community based tourism as such by ensuring its integration in the private sector tourism industry and by adhering to market demand. One of the key findings was the over-dependency on donor funding which was addressed in the new (proposed) structure of NACOBTA and additional roles of the Ministry of Environment & Tourism.

Who we work with

The finalised interventions were conducted in close collaboration with all the major stakeholders in Namibia’s tourism system; Ministry of Environment & Tourism, NACOBTA, Namibia Tourism Board, FENATA, WWF/LIFE and the Namibia Development Bank.