This presentation by Peter John Massyn was delivered at the 'Concessioning tourism opportunities in conservation areas and maximising rural development' workshop, held in Maputo between 19-22 March 2012 (Day 1, Session 2, Legal frameworks)

1. Protected Areas Network
Tourism Concessions
in Namibia’s Protected Areas ✓ Line ministry responsible for environment and
tourism (MET)
✓ Extensive network of PAs & conservancies with
considerable tourism potential
✓ 20 national parks covering 13% of country
Peter John Massyn ✓ 71 communal conservancies covering 20% of
Maputo country
19 March 2012
✓ 3 ‘state concessions’ destined to become
‘Kunene Peoples Park’ ( including 6,000km2
Palmwag Concession)
Institutional Framework
✓ Concessions policy approved by Cabinet in 2007
✓ Operates within existing & draft legal frameworks (Nature
Conservation Ordinance & Parks & Wildlife Bill)
✓ Replaces ad hoc approach of the past
✓ Establishes “standard & robust procedure” for award &
management of tourism concessions on state land
✓ Institutional structure:
− Minister is responsible authority with wide discretion
− Concessions Committee appointed by Minister provides advice &
oversight
− Concessions Unit in the Directorate of Tourism does day-to- day
implementation
✓ Integrated with national CBNRM/conservancy programme
✓ Strong donor & NGO support (EU, World Bank, UNDP, KfW,
MCA, NACSO, etc.)
Policy Objectives Award Process
Balances conservation, commerce & rural development “The process for awarding concessions will be transparent, objective and fair, but with the
empowerment of formerly disadvantaged Namibians as a priority, and preference given to
rural communities…”
✓ To enhance biodiversity conservation through
regulation of commercial operations in PAs
✓ To improve management & control of PAs
✓ To increase revenue generation from PAs
Direct award
✓ To increase economic contribution of PAs
Auction
✓ To advance the ‘economic empowerment’ of
park neighbours and all ‘formerly Tender
disadvantaged Namibians’
✓ To promote sustainable rural development,
poverty alleviation & job creation

2. Direct Award Progress to Date
✓ At the discretion of the Minister (after consultation & guided by policy) ✓ Concessions Committee and Concessions Unit established & operational
(with donor & NGO support)
✓ Preference to ‘communities’ resident in or near protected areas
✓ Standardized procedures & templates adopted & routinely used
✓ Objective is to ‘mitigate costs’, build incentives & stimulate rural development
✓ Several competitive tenders awarding concessions in parks to private firms
✓ Community concessionaires must be legally incorporated, “representative, successfully concluded
accountable and stable”
✓ Direct award of ‘head concessions’ to communities
✓ MET’s role is to: at Palmwag/Skeleton Coast, Etendeka, Hobatere/Etosha State
& Bwabwata (more to follow) ‘Head Concession Contract’
− award ‘head concessions’ to qualifying
communities (mostly conservancies) ✓ Some community concessionaires opted for competitive
tenders to select operating partners (Hobatere, Conservancy
− standardize subaward procedures & oversee
‘Concession Operator Contract’
selection of operating partners White Sands, Bwabwata)
− ensure that communities act in terms of ✓ Others used structured negotiation (RFP, evaluation,
Operator
their mandates & are ‘not exploited’ negotiations, closure) with trusted incumbents to reappoint
operating partners (Etendeka & Palmwag)
Balance Sheet
✓ Extensive & under-developed resource base
✓ Well-developed institutional environment:
− Enabling legislation & policy in place
Thank You!
− MET concessions unit operational
− Standardized procedures & documents in use
− Well-developed CBNRM programme
− Established network of support NGOs
− Fairly large domestic tourism sector
✓ Track record of success
✗ Uneven political support
✗ Competition from state resort company (NWR)
✗ Competition from mining (trumps all)
✗ Sustainability beyond donor support?
✗ Recession in tourism source markets