Skukuza Hotel Progress (Kruger National Park)

[Bushcraft]

all

[leachy]

yes......

the meeting lasted for a very long time....



not as long as what we need to wait for my summary of our questions and responses..



will start posting them tomorrow as soon as all the school hostel admissions are sorted.

[Richprins]

Maybe a follow-up meeting Friday at a cheap venue?

[Richprins]

Today's Lowvelder, Page 3:



Hanti Schrader

SKUKUZA - The public hearing on the building of a lodge in Skukuza Rest Camp did not register any official objection, but that was only for the time being, a few participants noted.

"I am not happy about this development, but I will give SANParks a chance to convince me that this is the right direction for it to take at this point," said Dr Salomon Joubert, who was head of the Kruger National Park (KNP) from 1986 to 1994.



Joubert also wanted to know what happened to SANParks' logo, "Custos Naturae", meaning custodians of nature.


​

This was echoed by Mr Nigel Fernsby, who attended in a private capacity.

​
​


"Something has happened in the 'official' conservation landscape of South Africa. It is something which is both disturbing and ominous and does not bode well for the future."

He said he asked the same question at a similar meeting at SANParks Head Office in Groenkloof, but had not received any answers.

A question posed by Africa Wild Forum's representative, Mr Ian Leach, about the organisation's core business and whether it was moving towards commercialisation, received quite a few nods from interested and affected parties.


​Ian Leach, Africa Wild





"Considering that hundreds of beds are available in Skukuza on many weekends, mainly the more expensive ones, how did SANParks arrive at the conclusion that there is a need for three- to four-star accommodation in the camp?"

Mr Glenn Phillips, SANParks' managing executive concerned with tourism and marketing, replied that the group that most tourism and marketing companies wanted to invite, was the so-called Black Diamonds. This is a group of up-and-coming young black businessmen and entrepreneurs.
"We want to pull them into our national parks, and realise that self-catering units will not do it for us. This strategy will also be discussed at length at the SANParks marketing indaba in May. We also want to invite this group to hold conferences in the KNP, for which we need more accommodation."


​Glenn Phillips, Managing Executive: Tourism and Marketing at SANParks

Phillips said the debate for a hotel or lodge started in 2009, when the conference centre was built.

It has proven to be a success and many events are taking place there, and according to Phillips it is the only way forward for SANParks.

He agreed that the two planned hotels would change the mission and vision, it is the only new way for developing the parks and to embark on new ways to make money.
He confirmed that only five of the 22 official national parks were making money and Kruger was one of them.

"Skukuza Rest Camp has been identified as one of the zones that can be developed more and this would mean that we can keep pristine areas free of any commercialisation. We do not want to create another Skukuza."

Although the process is far from over, the impression was created at the meeting that SANParks had considered all possible outcomes of such a planned development.

Strategic studies had been undertaken to establish sustainability of traffic, noise pollution, water licence and electricity supply and more, by a long list of experts.



http://lowvelder.co.za/244498/244498/

[Richprins]

I did ask for dup to be included in the article...too late!

[Sprocky]

good stuff, mr leach!!!

[Richprins]

Another pic of the plan, I think from Hantikapanti?








The hotel is the big yellow thing, with service access from the staff village to the North.

[Lisbeth]

There is no big yellow thing There is a big white thing and a yellow line??

[Sprocky]

There is no big yellow thing There is a big white thing and a yellow line??

Time to calibrate your monitor.

[nan]

or change glasses