Skukuza Hotel Progress (Kruger National Park)

[Richprins]

These are the minutes of the Groenkloof meeting, from H., Lis!

[Lisbeth]

Got mixed up

[Lisbeth]

To get things right....there is a PDF from the Groenkloof meeting that has not yet been posted? If yes, Send it to Toko by e-mail, H.e.!

[leachy]

Questions regarding Glen Phillips' (GP)presentation from SANParks (SP)

GP started off by telling us that he has a mandate to raise as much money as possible.

We asked if this was to be met at all costs and to the detriment of what we believed to be the core business of SP.
He replied that the "mission" of SP directs him to use
"best practice for the just and equitable benefit of current and future generations".

GP also made a statement that people will continue to visit KNP regardless of how much SP raise the prices of the accommodation.

We asked if that was the case why were so many of the expensive units vacant more than the others.
He replied that the occupancy rate of the guesthouses was in line with the general occupancy rate of the park.

In the table on page 27 of the SP presentation it is indicated that average accommodation costs in the National Tourism industry is on par with the accommodation costs in KNP and that the average camping costs for 2014 are double the cost of camping in Kruger.

We asked where he got those figures from and he replied that it is from the National Tourism Board
and he acknowledged that not all registered members submit their figure and these are primarily from the Hotel industry and not from the Guesthouse/B&B sector.

In the same table it states that camping occupancy in KNP is considerably less that chalet/hut occupancy and that camping occupancy dropped by -1.6% in 2014.

We asked why this was and he replied that hot weather and flooding was the contributing factor.

We replied that we believe there is less camping because camping is more seasonal.

GP replied that is what he meant and we replied that by seasonal we mean School Holiday season not climatic seasons.

GP stated that SP wanted to attract more black visitors to the parks, to which I commented that I believe from my interaction with a large amount of black families (approximately 120 per year) that they generally do not tend to go anywhere on holiday (except to their rural families).

GP replied that this project under discussion was part of the drive to attract/educate/inform black people about visiting KNP.

He believes that if they attend a conference in Skukuza then they will want to return as visitors.

When discussing the graph on page 31 of the SP presentation entitled "KNP Tourism Trends"
GP was proud to show the steady increase in visitors to the KNP since 1927 and the continued steady increase since 2000 to almost 1 600 000 per annum.

We asked if there was a ceiling or a cap on how many visitors they are trying to attract.

GP replied that there is no foreseeable limit to the number of visitors and SP would have to make a decision in years to come as to what the saturation point would be.

[leachy]

this was not the end of our questions....

i have to sign off now and go and report first-hand to richprins

about our encounter with the team last saturday.....

[Lisbeth]

If that is the amount of that you are going to consume.......

Anyway, thank you for the first part

[H. erectus]

Aye, just cannot get it done,.. the link,..to minutes reply,..

[Lisbeth]

What's your problem H.?

[H. erectus]

Creating a bloody link to the minutes reply re:Groenkloof!!!

[Toko]

Link to what? A post here on this forum?