More than 100 workers employed by local tour operators around Etosha National Park are facing possible job losses following a government directive banning empty game-viewing vehicles from entering the park.
The operators say this has caused a loss of over N$1 million and triggered cancelled bookings by international tourists.
The directive, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on 2 July, has disrupted how local operators fetch tourists staying inside Etosha and has left businesses struggling to honour bookings made months in advance.
Operators say the restrictions are cutting revenues and threatening the livelihoods of those who depend on tourism.
Documents seen by The Namibian show that the directive, issued by Etosha National Park deputy director Naambo Iipinge, instructs officers at Ombika, Galton, King Nehale and Namutoni gates to prevent empty game-viewing vehicles from entering the park, including for transit purposes.
At the centre of the dispute is the discontinuation of transit through Etosha.
While operators can enter the park with clients staying at Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) facilities, they may not return with an empty vehicle to fetch those clients after their stay.
“Effective immediately, all officers managing the entry and exit at Ombika, Galton, King Nehale, and Namutoni gates are directed to disallow entry of any empty game-viewing vehicles, including for transit purposes.
Transit through Etosha National Park is hereby discontinued. Tour operators and guides must plan their bookings and logistics accordingly,” Iipinge says.
Iipinge says NWR tourist accommodation facilities remain available to operators who enter the park with their clients.
“Non-compliance will result in suspension and/or permanent banning of the operator from the park. Any staff member who permits entry of an empty game-viewing vehicle will be dealt with.”
A group of tour operators say the directive has made it difficult for operators to honour bookings and provide transport to tourists who may have planned their trips months in advance.
The group, in a letter drafted by Local Tour Operators and Tour Guides of Etosha chairperson Gideon Shapaka and dated 4 July, has requested an urgent meeting with the ministry.
The group argues that the restriction is punishing law-abiding businesses for the alleged misconduct of a small number of operators.
“Our greatest concern is that no consultation or meeting was held with local tour operators before such an important decision was made,” Shapaka says.
He says the decision directly affects businesses and employees that depend on tourism.
“Etosha National Park is not only a protected conservation area but also the economic lifeline of many Namibian-owned tourism businesses,” he says.
According to the operators, many of their businesses specialise in guided-game drives.
Their clients often book tours weeks or months in advance through international travel agents, websites and online platforms.
Under the previous arrangement, a tour company could transport guests to the park, leave after dropping them off and later return with an empty vehicle to collect them.
Operators also warn that the restriction is damaging Namibia’s reputation among international visitors.
The environment ministry has defended its decision to prohibit empty game-viewing vehicles from entering Etosha National Park, saying the measure followed years of violations.
Ministry spokesperson Vilho Angula told The Namibian last week that the directive was a park management decision aimed at enforcing existing conservation laws and restoring order in the country’s flagship national park.
“Etosha National Park is a protected area, not a transit town or settlement where people can just drive through and dwell as they wish,” he said.
Angula said some operators had allegedly used transit permissions as a way of entering the park to collect clients from NWR accommodation facilities.
“For example, if you were granted permission to transit, you cannot go pick up clients,” he said, referring to Regulation 12 of the conservation regulations.
The ministry said it had received formal complaints about the practice as far back as 2018.
The ministry also alleged that some guides had entered the park after sunset and jumped locked gates.
It says some tour guides were recently found with scratched dates on park permits and changed vehicle registration details, which the ministry said resulted in underpayment of park fees.
The ministry raised concerns about wildlife security, saying some tour guides had allegedly been implicated in wildlife-related crimes.
Angula said there had also been incidents involving tour guides resisting enforcement and assaulting law enforcement officers.
“These repeated breaches of park rules and regulations created risks to wildlife, staff and visitors,” Angula said.
The ministry said operators had previously been verbally allowed to transit through Etosha because of the long detour required when travelling around the park, however, that privilege was abused.
“Not all management decisions require consultation, especially when the law is clear on what should be done,” he said.
However, Angula said “the ministry remains prepared to continue dialogue with operators, but compliance with conservation laws must remain the foundation of any engagement.”
Two tour operators who prefer to remain anonymous last week said the Etosha restrictions are hurting local businesses and Namibia’s tourism reputation.
“A great nation is one that takes care of its people, and a great government is one that creates an environment in which its people can thrive,” one operator said.
The operator said laws should evolve with the country’s needs and called for outdated regulations to be reviewed where they hinder economic development.
Another operator accused the ministry of sidelining local businesses in favour of foreign operators.
“Operations have gone down, people are being paid less, and we have lost a lot of money,” the operator said.
They said tourists had also suffered losses and some no longer trusted local operators because of uncertainty surrounding their bookings.
