The Namibian Wetlands Route

The Namibian Wetland Route aim, through our members, is to jointly promote the region and establish a sense of pride within their businesses, communities and Government departments.  Our Route will strive to conserve and promote sustainable tourism, and the use of our land and water systems. We will promote best practice by working closely with the Namibian Tourism Board for regulated establishments and operators. Generate revenue for the region, promote local culture and history, and create networks and partnerships within the KAZA-TFCA.

 

BACKGROUND 

Back in 2005, a group of Private Sector Tourism & Business people from the region got together and agreed on establishing a small committee to promote the then Caprivi Region as a tourism destination. The group started working hand in hand with Open Africa, a South African based NGO who were busy establishing Tourism route’s in Namibia in cooperation with NTB (Namibian Tourism Board). Unfortunately, by 2012, the project came to an end due to the lack of funding.

 

In 2014, it was once again tried to revive the route. At that stage it was decided that the north eastern regions establish one route – Namely –The Four Rivers Route.  The idea of this route was once again for promoting the region through joint marketing and branding.

 

The route started at Nkurenkuru in the Kavango region and ended on the last parts of Namibia in the Easter floodplains. The route was aimed at linking with high-traffic areas such as Victoria Falls, Chobe, the Okavango Panhandle etc for a mutually beneficial gateway for tourists.

 

In 2016 it was agreed to divide the Route down into two sub-routes:

 

 

In 2018 a new passionate and seriously committed committee was established, a Constitution and Code of Conduct for the Route produced and endorsed by the committee, a Voluntary Association registered to make the Namibian Wetlands Route a legal entity.