Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are developing an international project that combines tourism and environmental protection, as the director general of the Okavango Basin Tourism Development Center (PDTBO) and coordinator of the KAZA cross-border project explained to Luse. project .
Angola, with an area of 90 thousand square meters, comprising four municipalities (Cuito Cuanavale, Dirico, Rivungo and Mavinga), has the third largest share, but is perhaps the country that has least benefited from the tourism potential in this region of the Cuando province. Cubango, where almost everything remains to be done.
“We still have some gaps,” admits Guime Sebastian, responsible for the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (ATFC KAZA), which unites five countries and 36 national parks covering a total area of 520,000 square kilometers.
The agreement establishing KAZA was signed 12 years ago in Luanda, but Angola has not yet ratified the document, which creates difficulties in accessing international funds and attracting investment.
“We are always waiting for this step,” says Guimet Sebastian Luse.
This will be an important step towards the development of tourism in the Okavango, the common denominator where the waters of the Cuando and Cubango rivers meet, in the province to which they give their name, one of the most extensive and remote in a country covering an area twice the size of Portugal, with diversity fauna and untouched landscapes.
According to a PDTBO spokesman, access and “border normalization” are barriers to development, hindering the movement of tourists in the region, which borders Namibia to the south and Zambia to the east.
“The border posts in the area are still administratively closed,” says Guimet Sebastian, hoping the situation will be resolved by early next year.
On the other hand, he recalled that the region suffered greatly from the armed conflict that lasted for about 30 years in Angola, pitting the UNITA government forces of Jonas Savimbi, which led to wild animals scattering and practically leaving their “habitat” during the civil war.
“Right now, with security and the mines cleared, the animals are coming back,” he guarantees.
It is currently possible to travel “safely” through approximately 50% of Cuando Cubango, but the rest must be cleared to ensure the safety and movement of tourists as much of the region is traveled on trails and mine clearance operations continue. carried out by the Angolan authorities and partners such as the non-governmental organization Halo Trust.
But there is also a shortage of tour operators and guides who develop activities, routes and hotel infrastructure to accommodate visitors.
“To begin with,” the Angolan government will try to entice lovers of so-called “nature tourism,” promising the creation of campsites in the near future, “as soon as cross-border posts become official.”
Guimet Sebastian hopes to have tour operators from neighboring countries such as Namibia next year.
Among the attractions, in addition to the wildlife that highlights the presence of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and sables, the PDTBO director points to sport fishing as an additional tourism offer, estimating that 10 to 15 thousand tourists will come here in 2024. come and get to know the region.
The official also said that the Angolan authorities are attentive to local communities, emphasizing that in the Okavango hub, after the installation of hotel facilities planned in the first stage, 1,500 jobs are expected to be created, ensuring the development of community tourism.
“They are the best guides, they are the ones who will show you what the tourist is looking for, the animals, the sightings,” he explains, referring to local ethnic groups such as the Ngangela and Khoisan.
As for oil exploration, which is already being talked about in the Okavango, he says nothing has been decided yet.
“They are talking about this; in the neighboring country, Namibia, geological exploration work is already underway, but not yet in our component. These are actions that fundamentally depend on the government; I am not aware of projects of this kind that have been sanctioned (…) At the moment we have nothing,” he assures, emphasizing that the main focus is on tourism.
“At the moment the tourists on the Namibian side have seen everything, in Botswana they have seen everything, in Zambia they have seen everything, now Angola is closed and they are putting pressure on us to open the doors,” emphasizes Guimet Sebastian.
Last week, Angolan President João Lourenço signed a decree authorizing $19 million (€17.5 million) for the construction of a new international airport in Mavinga, highlighting the international importance of the headwaters of the Okavango Delta and the fact that it is “a strategic area of investment interest for tourism development in the country”.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.