Official opening of Dolomite camp
On the 8th October 2011, His Excellency President Hifikepunye Pohamba officially opened the Dolomite Camp. This is the first tourism facility to be built in the western Etosha National Park since the proclamation of the park over 100 years ago. Dolomite is known as the brain child of H.E President Hifikepunye Pohamba. He initiated this project and has followed the progress in its execution.
Ministry of Environment and Tourism Hon. Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was also at this event to witness the opening of the Dolomite Camp.
“The Dolomite Camp has been completed on the 17th June 2011 and was opened to market on the 1st June 2011. Since its opening this Camp has hosted over 1000 guests”, she adds. An important feature around this Camp is the historical indigenous stone people “Bushman art” painting that can be viewed by visitors.
The Government of the Republic of Namibia made a direct investment of N$34 million to build and operate this camp. The total construction cost was N$26 million, while the remainder is for operation during the first months of the Camp’s operations. Forty – two permanent jobs have been created with the opening of the camp and over 200 temporal jobs were created during the construction phase, thus create significant economic value and benefits to the surrounding communities outside the Park.
The President said, “The opening of Dolomite Camp comes at a time when the Cabinet has reclassified the road from Galton Gate to Okaukuejo from Restricted Use to an Open Access Tourism Zone. Dolomite Camp is therefore a strategic Camp in providing tourism related services to tourists travelling through Galton Gate and Okaukuejo Camp. “To facilitate easy access into Etosha National Park, two additional gates will be opened to the public one on the North West and the other on the South East”, he adds.
The launch of Dolomite Camp today marks a start of the second phase of redevelopment by NWR. Under this phase, the Company has to grow its revenue and hospitality business further and expand its footprints in the tourism industry. The Growth Strategy will include amongst others the infrastructure development of Resorts such Gross Barmen, Hardap Recreation Resort, Popa Falls Camp, Hobas Camp, Torra Bay and Terrace Bay and many more in identified strategic areas. This plan is budgeted for during the MTF period and the Ministry in particular the Minister is obliged to ensure its effective implementation.
The President emphasised that under the National Development Plan III, his Government has identified tourism as a strategic sector for creating employment and reducing poverty. He revealed that travel and tourism is expected to create 32 000 direct jobs in 2011 through the implementation of the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (TIPEEG).
The tourism sector's total contribution to the Gross Domestic Product is expected to reach N$16.2 billion in 2011. He said this constitutes 31% of the 104 000 direct jobs to be created under TIPEEG in the 2011/2012 Financial Year. He further said his Government is committed to supporting NWR in meeting its national objectives through direct and indirect investment in infrastructure development. With this in mind, he added, the Government has allocated funds to NWR in the 2011/2012 Budget to complete the revamp of the remainder of the Camps such as Gross Barmen, the Hardap Recreation Resort, Popa Falls, Hobas Camp, Torra Bay and Terrace Bay.
To read more about the Dolomite Camp, visit this link: http://www.namibian.org/travel/lodging/dolomite_camp.html