the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 133 Additional accommodation is available in the towns of Lekkersing, Port Nolloth, Alexander Bay, Sandrift, Steinkopf, Springbok and in the adjacent Richtersveld National Park. Campsites The Conservancy is a vast wilderness with unlimited potential for camping. Historically, it was the domain of only the most intrepid travellers, but is gaining appeal and tourism is growing. The Conservancy Management Committee took the proactive decision in 2004 to manage tourism and campsites to prevent people from camping in sensitive areas and to focus people on existing camping areas. Currently, there are eight official campsites, which can be booked and paid for at the TICs. These sites are being upgraded by the 6 million rand Social Responsibility Project from Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism but will remain low impact and with limited infrastructure. Sites are small and ecologically friendly in which only one group can camp at a time and from which all waste must be carried out. Because of the fragility of the area, there are no large campsites with extensive infrastructure in the Conservancy. There are additional campsites outside neighbouring towns and in the Richtersveld National Park. Field Guides The Conservancy has several professionally trained guides who have certification with the Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T). They are available for hire at the two Tourism Information Centres (TICs) in the Conservancy area, and escort travellers to places of interest in the Conservancy. There are two types of guides: cultural guides who focus on explaining the cultural aspects of the Conservancy and nature guides who lead hikes and inform guests on the magnificent botanical wealth of the Conservancy. There are two mapped trails in the Conservancy which are currently being demarcated and there are uncountable backcountry trails and loops which can be undertaken on day trips or longer treks.
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 134 The Conservancy also has a significant stretch of the Orange River, which is one of the most remote sections of the river along its entire course in South Africa. There are guided river rafting and kayaking trips available at several campsites along the Orange River outside the Conservancy. Statistics The Northern Cape Province is the largest, but least visited and most remote province in South Africa. It also receives the fewest tourists, which makes it an unspoiled treasure for the nature purest and for those wanting an authentic glimpse into traditional South African life and Nama culture. Visitors have for many years travelled to the Conservancy for camping and exploring the Conservancy’s remote backcountry. Historically, people travelled to the Conservancy free and were able to move around without restriction or control. In 2004 the Management Committee instated Conservancy regulations and in 2005 began accepting entrance and camping fees. Only recently has the Conservancy started trying to capture official statistics, but overall the sentiment is that tourism is increasing healthily, in light of recent publicity for the Conservancy in the press and of the greater Namaqualand’s fantastic flower display. The Conservancy remains very seasonal with the months of September and October being the most popular and those during which the flowers bloom. The summer months: January, February and March are extremely hot in the Richtersveld and during this time fewer people visit the area. Record keeping for visitors in the Conservancy has only recently begun in earnest. Previously, entrance was free, but the Management Committee made the decision to keep records in order to capture visitation trends. Most of the visitation is by people passing along the boundary of the Conservancy on the main gravel road and thus not required to pay entrance fees. As a result, the numbers do not accurately reflect the visitation to the Conservancy, which is approximately 3000 people per year.
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THE RICHTERSVELD CULTURAL AND BOTAN
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