The government has endorsed the construction of the first international class hotel in the Kruger National Park, the Business Day reported on Monday.
The move was expected to put an end to a debate over whether the new development, catering for the growing numbers of local and international tourists to the park, was desirable or would threaten sensitive ecosystems.
Deputy Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said that the government had been grappling with the concept of development within the park since 1999 when South African National Parks (SANParks) tabled its commercialisation strategy to Cabinet.
“We [government] see nothing contradictory in the establishment of these hotels in national parks as long as they are approved [through] the environmental impact assessments and related processes,” Mabudafhasi said.
“We already have an existing hotel in the Golden Gate National Park and even several famous international parks around the world have hotels as part of the diverse tourism accommodation offering,” she said.
Biodiversity
The proposal of developing two hotels in the park had been criticised by some environmentalists, including former director of SANParks and the Kruger National Park, Salomon Joubert, who said the plan was likely to damage biodiversity.
The park already offered 15 451 beds.
A total of 4.5 million people visited the park last year, with South Africans tourists leading with 78.1%.
Most international visitors were German (29.1%), followed by Britons (12.4%), Dutch (8.6%), French (7.8%) and Americans (6.5%).
The park contributed at least R2-billion to gross domestic product.
The Rezidor Hotel group is to build a new five-star, lodge-style hotel at a site 4km inside the park, close to Malelane Gate . It will have 120 rooms and is expected to open next year while the Skukuza Conference Lodge will have 125 rooms and will be built in the existing Skukuza Rest Camp. — Sapa