On 3 September 2023, 14 tourism management honours students and two academic staff members from the Department of Marketing Management set out on a week-long field trip to Etosha National Park and King Nehale Conservancy in Namibia. The excursion, under the supervision of Dr Felix Bello and Prof Elizabeth du Preez, forms part of the Tourism management honours degree programme and allows students to experience tourism operations in a real-life context.

The purpose of this field visit was to provide the students with first-hand, practical information on community involvement in tourism and conservation; law enforcement and infrastructure management in a protected area; sustainable tourism enterprise development; and biodiversity conservation based on best practices in Southern Africa. This community engagement field visit provided the students with an opportunity to understand and discuss the linkages that exist between local communities and protected areas; examine the contribution of wildlife tourism to sustainable local development; and assess conservancies as a tool for biodiversity conservation and sustainable local development. Students were also challenged to investigate these elements within a wider destination management context.

The students’ activities in Namibia were organised in collaboration with the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). After arriving in Windhoek, students were briefed by officials from the Namibia Tourism Board and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism. The briefing included presentations on the overall competitiveness of Namibia as a tourist destination and conservation and tourism development in national parks in Namibia. After two days in Windhoek, the group departed for Etosha National Park. There was a stopover at Henties Bay en route, and students had the opportunity to experience some of the adventure tourism offerings in Swakopmund. In Etosha National Park, the students camped at Halali Campsite, which is owned by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), a government entity that holds exclusive rights to provide accommodation facilities in Namibia’s national parks.

While in the park, the students engaged with park officials and NWR staff, who briefed them on conservation, tourism development, and the involvement of local communities in tourism associated with the national park. During a number of game drives, students were able to gauge the interrelationship between conservation efforts and tourism operations. On the last day in the park, students joined NWR staff at Halali Camp to clean the campsite. They also visited the neighbouring King Nehale Conservancy to appreciate the involvement of local communities in conservation and protected area-based tourism. This conservancy presents a living example of the partnership between the community and the tourism industry. Through a partnership with Gondwana Collection, one of the biggest tourism companies in Namibia, an upmarket lodge (King Nehale Lodge) was constructed in the conservancy. As a result, the concession fees from Gondwana Collection have become a main source of revenue for the conservancy and surrounding communities. Back in Windhoek, the students experienced some of the local culture before returning to South Africa.

The excursion forms part of the students’ final examinations in two modules, Responsible Tourism Management and Destination Management, and the students are expected to write two strategic reports. The first report (Responsible Tourism) entails an assessment of the sustainable tourism development in and around Etosha National Park and the local community’s involvement in tourism and biodiversity conservation with a focus on King Nehale Conservancy. For the second report (Destination Management), students are expected to propose relevant strategies to further develop and promote Destination Namibia through novel, creative tourism experiences.

The reports, along with their recommendations, will be shared with all the key stakeholders involved in the project. These recommendations will assist our partners in Namibia, King Nehale Conservancy, the Namibia Tourism Board, Namibia Wildlife Resorts, and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, in improving sustainable wildlife tourism and enhancing local community participation in tourism to ensure sustainable local development.