ONE of the most popular tourist accommodation facilities in southern Namibia, the Hobas campsite, was reopened last Friday after receiving a N$6,5 million facelift.
Hobas is run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR).
New additions to the campsite include six rooms, a restaurant, and a swimming pool.
Speaking at the official opening of the spruced-up camp on Friday, NWR chairperson Leonard Iipumbu said the amount of work that went into improvements was testimony to what NWR could deliver when provided with the necessary resources.
He said all NWR facilities were in need of improvements to retain visitors, and he called on staff to take ownership of the maintenance of such facilities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, NWR MD Zelna Hengari said “market demand” and sustainability necessitated the improvements at Hobas, which in the past was solely a campsite.
Hengari said plans were being developed to build 15 to 20 more rooms at the camp. She added that there was significant growth in locals visiting NWR facilities.
“Historically, NWR facilities were sustained by European visitors. But this has changed, as locals are now flocking to the facilities throughout the year,” said Hengari.
Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) CEO Digu /Naobeb said the numbers of tourists visiting Namibia have significantly increased.
“The visitors’ demand has increased faster than the supply. For 2018, tourist facilities in the south of Namibia have been fully booked,” he stated.
The Hobas camp is situated at the northern end of the second-largest canyon in the world – the Fish River Canyon – making it one of the main tourist attractions in the country.
