Open Safari Vehicles in Kruger

[Richprins]

This from looklocal yesterday:

http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/co ... d-changes-

SKUKUZA - The South African National Parks (SANParks) announced in a statement changes in the rate structure for South African residents and Southern African Development Community (SADC) nationals using open-safari vehicles (OSV’s) to experience the iconic Kruger National Park.

This, according to SANParks managing executive: tourism and marketing, Mr Glenn Phillips who said in the past, OSVs catered primarily for the international market and therefore all guests were required to pay the standard conservation fee. “However, with the landscape slowly changing where already 15% of guests using OSVs are locals, adaptive measures had to be taken in order to attract more local and regional guests.”

He said this would create more opportunities for growth and further support SANParks Responsible Tourism Strategy, which essentially strives to attain good business practices that were environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

According to Phillips, OSV guests will, from November 1, 2013, be subjected to the existing Conservation Fees Protocol, which essentially offers reduced fees to South African residents and SADC nationals (passport holders).

“We believe that there is significant upside in these markets to make use of externally based OSV operators."


“As per SANParks Conservation Fees Protocol, OSV guests, as applicable to all guests that are South African residents or nationals of SADC countries, must be able to prove their status upon admission to the park. OSV operators are therefore urged to ensure that paperwork is in order to prevent delays at gates. The same applies to Wild Card members, who will be required to swipe their cards at the gate,” said Phillips.

During the 2012/13 financial year, the OSV guests numbers reached a record 120 000, comprising 7,1% of total guest entries. As from November 1, 2013, conservation fees for Kruger (and OSV guests) will be R62 for local residents, R124 for SADC nationals and international guests R248. Children under 12 pay half price.

http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=55519

[Richprins]

These vehicles remain a bone of contention amongst visitors in Kruger.

Skukuza on Saturday morning 09h30. All different vehicles, around 20 in all.












Some facts:


Between 220 and 250 osv's enter Kruger every day, at peak times.

This number remains constant due to market factors.

These have not been counted under the daily gate quotas for tourist vehicles for about 3 years now.

Osv operators contribute around R25 000 000 in cash to Kruger yearly, more than the income from Table Mountain NP alone, for example!

The industry is largely self-regulating, and well-organised.

On average, each osv replaces 4 tourist vehicles on Kruger's roads, although those vehicles would have fallen under gate quotas.

[Toko]

I wish SANParks would create an Intensive OSV Zone, only for OSVs and they are only allowed there Very often not fun for self drive visitors

[Mel]

Woah! That's a LOT!

Is it a common occurrence to see so many in one of the major camps like in this instance?
Surely, they take a break there - and I wonder what the shops and restaurants look like -
apart from the vehicles congesting the roads...

RP, do you have numbers regarding the income day visitors provide? Is it feasible that OSVs
replace the quota totally because they produce more financial gain for SP?

[Richprins]

Is it a common occurrence to see so many in one of the major camps like in this instance?
Surely, they take a break there - and I wonder what the shops and restaurants look like -
apart from the vehicles congesting the roads...

RP, do you have numbers regarding the income day visitors provide? Is it feasible that OSVs
replace the quota totally because they produce more financial gain for SP?

Hey, Mello!

Skukuza can handle it regarding space, shop and restaurant. It is very common. There is a parking problem, as you can see...so normal visitors have to try and find a spot behind the shop during these peak hours...

Nobody knows how many day visitors come in, as SP don't release the annual numbers in their reports...they just lump it under visitor totals, and I sometimes wonder if they know themselves.

SP actually want to take over all osv stuff in the long term, so make osv's pay big time. But for now, they are happy to take the cash, and will use existing operators to service new hotels using park and ride, until their own fleet is big enough, and then spit them out, IMO!

[Mel]

Thanks!

Nobody knows how many day visitors come in, as SP don't release the annual numbers in their reports...they just lump it under visitor totals, and I sometimes wonder if they know themselves.

I don't wanna change the topic of this thread, but it immediately pops to my mind that if we only get average numbers, it's a natural thought to believe that there are probably way more day visitors allowed in when demand is there, aka in peak times. Yet another cash cow... And mixed with the numbers of slower days it adds up to a - by looking from the outside - reasonable number / quota.

[Toko]

The data for Skukuza are there for some years, look at the relevant documents from the Skukuza lodge topic.

[Richprins]

There is a thread about quotas, Mello!

Anyway, here is the new stuff:

The industry has been lobbying SP for quite a while, in good faith, to address the congestion issues above.

Firstly, as Scipio said, there is a proposal for osv's to enter the Park half an hour before gate opening time, thus eliminating the huge osv queues that impede the other tourists at especially Phabeni Gate, but also Kruger, Numbi, Malelane and Croc Bridge gates.

This seems fine to me.

However, they also want to leave half an hour after gate closing, which I'm not so sure about?

The main holdup here, which the industry understands, is the added security risk regarding driving after/before hours. There have been a small number of incidents where osv drivers have been involved in rhino poaching to various degrees.

Theoretically honest osv's, the vast majority, provide extra eyes and ears on the roads, especially with their radio communications reporting suspicious activity, so it is a double-edged sword!

Secondly, there is a proposal for picnic sites such as Afsaal and Nkhuhlu, and day visitor areas of Southern camps, to have separate osv areas added. The companies will pay for it, and simply use a demarcated space. No infrastructure, as the principle will be they bring everything in, and take everything out, including portable toilets, most probably the new trailers, which actually work well!

Lots to think about!

[Flutterby]

The problem with letting them in earlier than regular visits is that cats which are on the road will probably move off once all the OSVs arrive!

[Scipio]

My take on this is a bit of both sides. To have picnic spots, dayvisitors areas for osvs, great. To get in an hour early, that will be good for gate congestion, awesome idea. An hour late, no, thats not relevant to any problem I know of. Most full day drives is only till about 3 to 4pm according to the advertising. So this is just going to be oppetunity for marketing sunset drives. And although I dont have a problem with this specifically, it will be a problem where security is concerned. And also this, as I said will be used as marketing for sunset drives. More to the price at no extra cost with influence on SANParks income.

And the JJs dont all chase the lions away.