Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Gorongosa Park Starts Phase One of Ecotourism Development

Jul 13, 2010

Gorongosa National Park is on track to once again become one of the world’s premiere ecotourism destinations, recalling the ’60s and '70s, when movie stars, astronauts and other celebrities vacationed in Gorongosa.

Leading Safari Operators, hotels and tourism operators from Africa, Europe, and Asia are preparing their proposals for their share of selected areas in the Park designated for sustainable tourism development by the government of Mozambique.

Each tourism development area - the largest of which is over 47,000 hectares - will host several luxury tented camps, and fly camps.  Two areas may have lodges with as many as 100 beds. The new camps will be built adhering to the Park’s strict ecological policies and will be some of the “greenest” tourism structures in Africa. The two lodge sites will be constructed on land that previously disturbed and contain historical ruins.

Most of the camps will be built near (but not in) wetlands, karsts, breeding grounds and areas where zoning permits game drives, guided walks and other activities for tourists. Some tourism development areas include “wilderness zones,” where excursions will be restricted or limited to foot traffic only.

The Mozambican Ministry of Tourism and the Gorongosa Restoration Project will select the projects that best meet the Parks high ecological standards ensuring “that the ecosystem will be preserved and that a sustainable tourism industry will be established.”

This is phase one of a two-phase process; phase two will open the bidding process with additional tourism development areas in the northern region of the Park.

Project criteria for the bids under consideration include factors such as financial resources, current experience in ecotourism, commitment to local communities and “green” business practices. 

The deadline for bids is tentatively August. Contracts will be awarded in the 4th Quarter of 2010.  Construction on camps is expected to begin in early 2011.

In the 20-year restoration agreement with the Government of Mozambique, the Park’s long-term goal is to develop “a sustainable tourism industry dedicated to the maintenance of the ecological integrity that will stimulate the economic growth of the Sofala Province and of Mozambique as a whole.”

The winning operators in the Park will make Conservation Contributions to the Park and pay fees that help cover the costs of conservation inside the park and in the buffer zones, where currently 250,000 people live in 13 communities. 

Vocational training and employment for the communities living in the buffer zone are other ways in which the operators will help ensure sustainable development in the long term.

The committee that will review the bids will be made up of six Mozambican nationals, and independent observers shall be invited to the session.

The Parks Oversight Committee will review and approve the chosen tourism partners, and the Minister of Tourism will make the final review and approval.

For more information, please contact Vasco Galante at vasco@gorongosa.net, or visit the Reception office at Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.