Hot springs project gathers momentum

THE Federal Republic of Germany has donated more than N$516 000 to the Warmbad Hot Springs development.

The money will be used to renovate and upgrade the historical Officer’s House at Warmbad. The house will accommodate a restaurant and a shop that will sell local arts and crafts.Six bungalows, ablution facilities and Nama huts for backpackers are nearing completion at Warmbad.A sauna covering the hot springs is also being built.The building should be completed and open to the public by the end of October.Some of the N$2,5 million the Namibian Government pumped into promoting tourism in the Karas Region was used to build the bungalow complex.Warmbad community members have visited the new community-run Grootberg Lodge in Damaraland to learn about the tourism industry.Tenders have been called for a management company to go into partnership with the Warmbad community, because the local people do not have the experience and know-how to run a tourism enterprise such as the Hot Springs.The idea is to run the complex on the same principles as the Grootberg Lodge, where a management company runs the business for five years while the community learns the ropes and then owns the complex.The management company will also be responsible for the marketing of the Warmbad Hot Springs.The local community will not only benefit once the complex is in operation, but has already benefited from jobs created during the construction phase.Local people will also be employed t the complex and be trained to run it on their own eventually.The house will accommodate a restaurant and a shop that will sell local arts and crafts.Six bungalows, ablution facilities and Nama huts for backpackers are nearing completion at Warmbad.A sauna covering the hot springs is also being built.The building should be completed and open to the public by the end of October.Some of the N$2,5 million the Namibian Government pumped into promoting tourism in the Karas Region was used to build the bungalow complex.Warmbad community members have visited the new community-run Grootberg Lodge in Damaraland to learn about the tourism industry.Tenders have been called for a management company to go into partnership with the Warmbad community, because the local people do not have the experience and know-how to run a tourism enterprise such as the Hot Springs.The idea is to run the complex on the same principles as the Grootberg Lodge, where a management company runs the business for five years while the community learns the ropes and then owns the complex.The management company will also be responsible for the marketing of the Warmbad Hot Springs.The local community will not only benefit once the complex is in operation, but has already benefited from jobs created during the construction phase.Local people will also be employed t the complex and be trained to run it on their own eventually.