Concession means the right, whether full or restricted or shared or exclusive to conduct tourism activities and/or to commercially use of state-owned plant and/or animal resources (collectively referred to as wildlife resources) on business principles in proclaimed protected areas and any other State Land for a specified period of time.
The granting of concessions in Namibia by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and previously other authorities, dates back over several decades. Existing and previous concessions have originated in different periods, for different activities and on different types of State land e.g. tourism, hunting and timber concessions in proclaimed protected areas and on communal land. However, these widely diverse concessions were never awarded and developed under a uniformed policy framework. Concessions also create opportunities for business development and the economic empowerment of formerly disadvantaged Namibians through the tourism, hunting and forestry industries. Therefore the aim of this policy is to explicitly target such empowerment through tourism development and wildlife utilization based on public assets.
In line with the provisions of the Constutition, and the objectives set out in Vision 2030, this policy is formulated for the advancement of Namibians who have been socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged by past discriminatory laws or practices. Amongst the objectives of our Government’s Vision 2030 is to ensure the development of Namibia’s “natural capital”and its sustainable utilisation for the benefit of the country’s social, economic and ecological wellbeing, and amongst its broad strategies is to maintain stable, productive and diverse ecosstems managed for long term sustainability.
Click here to read the National Policy on Tourism and Wildlife Concessions on State Land 2007
Concessions awarded by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism
