,- [ D.R.F.N. ,-Kmlbl' REFERENCE, __ J_cL --- rI 1 0'BRARY j'\LHJ(.. ----
I <)1.., !fhe toun st potent laJ of the Sperrgeblet of the Na::b :e~e~.t,bei ngO , 'Ie area wIthIn IUU krn ot the Ati;:mtlc coastline bordered by the Lotn ~ p,"lralle 1 in the north and by the Orange River in the South. I ~ !i~. GIno Noli Luederltz j August 19Y3
Terms of reference
1 am a professionally trained tixed-wlng and helicopter pIlot. Whll~ 1 was the pilot of the Nature Conservation Super Cub spotter plane I spent a total of 1300 hours in the air over Namibia, 300 of which involved aerIal census work and radio telemetry tracking over the sOlllhel-nNamIb. As a Nature ConservatIon officer stationed In Luederitz and Aus I did perimeter patrols in the coastal area from Luederltz to WalVIS Bay and in the escarpment area from the Haiber F'lats to Rosh Pinah. I also did regional patrols on the Haiber Flats throughout the Koichab Rlver System, in the Kowis Mountains, 1n the Hottentots Bay/Anichab area. and in the region of the Kaukausib water hole, 1 took part in game capture operations in the Klinghardt mount.'j,ins, While I was involved with public relations for CDM I did VIP f3scorls to Atlas Bay, ElIzabeth Hay, ~}omona and Bogenfels. 1 ~ .. spent a total of five years working for Nature Conservation. and five yedl"S working tor CUM, During these ten years 1 dealt w1th 11Lerally t,llOUSM,ds of tourists and scores of scientists. from 1986 to 1989 1 <:l.cr;omp"'nted my bl~other, Dr. Dieter No Ii, on numerous archaeo j ogica I surveys and e>:cavations in the southern Namib. 1 am currently operating my own tour company (Kolmanskop Tour Company) in the Sperrgebiet,
l-'oss1bletourist routes (see mapl
1) The are,3.betweerJ the Koichah Pan and the Kowis mountains: This is a vel-y at tract ive but h 19h 1Y sens 1t 1ve area. wh ich can be accessed by rne."lnsof the 4:-:4track used by the CDM fishing club to reach Meoh Bay.
2, '[he Kowis Mountains: l'hese are ideal tor 2-3 day hiking trips. strik1ng north from roughly oPPo!3ite the CDM road near Rotkuppe. The actual mountains provide a very userul navigation aid and shelter, both of which become indispensable in the event of a sudden sandstorm.
J) From Luederitz to Hottentots Bay: This trip is for well-equipped 4x4 parties with experienced drivers. The route from Agate Beach to Anichab has a low sensitiVIty, but the part between Anichab and Hottentot Bay is characterized by sensitive salty mudflats. narra growths, damara tern nesting sites, Yare black sandroses and a qemsbok population which should not be unduly disturbed, Hottentots Bay forms a poss1ble overnIght stop. VillI-
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s: \ uiIU
O...;~;.."l .....Q1'" I.... l(e\l; .. Robl'~ t ~
.23'>'---If------~ '~l FIC,m L,uedeYJt,z to EJ izabeth Bay. west of the dunes: Kolmansl~op 1_'ill'>c::t lUi-ill. ':ie.:.d r;olr'lly at Atlas B'-:iy, I::-Bay Ghost Town and the moL1t.-'rn E-B~y tnlne. This IS a 2):4 route. A water hole tor possible game VI.,~l--lIn
:.,1 Fl'e-,m Lueder)!.:::: to Aus ulonlJ the old (Jerman wa<;.:rontraIL. VIa l'~otJ'.ul)pe. I's.-)ukaib, LettelJo:uppe and Kubub: 4>:4. lJ) Sout It a long [...:01'1 ruad
aJ ~~st along ~UM paLrol route. up the Kaukauslb river to the l·~auk.:tusib Fountain: 4z4 route. open Hater at fountaIn, sUltable t<.jr yame vJ€Hing ut Getnsbok/Hyena.
hi I~rj lJ011tllal: Huge Hay can [Junes cross 1fig old road. dlld old w'''lt"''Ot" pUlilp statl,)n. l\ccess tor !,/'4.
c) Frurn ::Jcl1Harzer Berg turn--of t to Pomona: 1'7 lUrI of POOl', rocJ-~y alld s~ndy 4x4 road. Bushmarl candles at turn-off. ~omona ghost town. grLlveyard.
d) !{()i'lcl tr()[ll POlnOlld to Bogcnfels: 810"l pIcturesque drlVC on po("'t' 4x4 road. Bogetlfels ghost tOHn. photogenic buildings. Bogentelg ruck arch. HOlJentels cave.
e) Return to CDM rouel. :2z4 when not covered by driftsand.
[I ~oustal 2x4 drIve from BogBnfels to Bakers Bay. Attractl0tlS L,r this route are sandy beaches "lith l'ocky outcrops on then! and clC':::~e pn~zIlllity to PlullIpudding Islands, Black SophIe rock and ::-:;inclail' Island. The old miner accommodation at Bakers Bay could be a possible overnight stop.
q) Ftom 13'3,kers Hay one can ei ther cut back to trle COM road (a.uout l:) km) or
II! 1"l1'S!; c,_,ntinue south to Cll,lmLlu'J Bay and a spectacLllul wrpck belc,re
1) Hea.d,Lng Hl!dtld Lo the CharnalS checkpoint on the CUM 1'00.\<.1.
j J l-(Jingh'-:t'rdt mountains: The "Lost Valley", sometimes populated by tllJndreds of Gemsbok. could possIbly be suitable tor dlttlCUJt <3nd sandy 4):4 gLlme vie ..d.ng by sm·).11 parties. It could be lleveJoped Into a very exclusive 11igJlt stop. accessed by helicopter or STOL alt'craft.
/ ) I{o.:td trow Rosh Pl!lah to UranJemund: ThIS is a very scenic drlve llilleed. \--lith the added attractIon of Hatet-Sports and the possibility ')1 OrC1IlJemund itselt being developed as Ll recreat Ion camp. 3
Bl '['he4x4 Nature Conservation patrol road from Garub station to Rosh Pinah. 'fhe route generally tallows the Nature Conservation road and lhe line of boreholes put down during the emergency grazing peYlod.
The main attractions
l'he Sperrgebiet has. from the point of view of the tourist. three main attractions:
i) The photogenic beauty and splendor of the terrain. its biology and geology. combined with isolation. desolat:i.on, the ultimate in wide- open spaces. and the very fact that access has to date been denied.
ill The romance and history of diamond mining with all its technicaL politlcal and personal details. spanning the whole spectrum from the decaying splendor of Kolmanskop to the modern plant at ElIzabeth Bay.
iiil The untold story of the first Inhabitants of the Sperrgebiet. the desert Bushmen. whose many campsites contain a veritable treasure house of archaeological clues in the form of stone tools. ostrich eggshell beads, paintlngs and potsherds.
Possible types of tourist activity
'rtlevery nature of these attractions rules out the concept of large gl-oupS of unescorted tourists roamIng around at will. Most at the Sperrgebiet is currently pristine. the main exceptions being the coastal strlp which has been mined and the Nature Conservation patrol track and the old emergency grazing areas along the escarpment. A very conservative approach is advised in opening up the untouched area, as most of it has not yet even been subjected to baseline scientific research. Initially. at any rate. tourism should largely be restricted to t~o~e areas which have already been disturbed. It would also be advisable to inItially make use of the services of small. contrc)llable operators. Big operators tend to have the tIn'3.ncjaland political leverage to steamroll. bypass and ignore any conservation-orientated objections to their way of doing things. They also have very hIgh overheads and therefore need to have a large turnover to m;:l.keends meet. A large turnover is the last thiQ.9-.the desert needs. Even so, there are at least nine possible types ot tourist activities which can be considered.
i) Lurge scale llOO+ people per day} visits by tour buses and/or private vehicles: Only in the case of the Kolmanskop ghost town. which is directly next to a public road, should large scale visits be tolerated in the Sperrgebiet. Even there. however, only guided viewing should be allowed, as is currently the case.
iiJ Medium scale (about 30 people per day) visits by tour busses and/or private vehicles: Single buses with a guide on board and small groups of privi:l.tevehicles accompanied by a guide could be allowed to visit the seals at Atlas Bay, the E-Bay ghost town and the new E-Bay 4
IIllnp-. i\ tUI.'th'~r pOSS.ilJl1jty for such viSlts muy be BogentAls. but the rllll ent Y()ad Hould fiy~;t have to be e;.:tensively upgraded and then S\lt'l€cLed to constant rfh)intenance.
111) ::::3mal1 SClll.-:'! spel_'ial,ist tOLllS: The other attractions unci routes '-Ill'-> oJll Lde,)l to·,t- cC:iJ.latlS by slJlalt. p>:pel~tly guided gl'OllpS ot pf'oplp .ill ,~t llillited number of lIght IIx4 vehicles. Ideally no group should ',"(Jlll_ulll [lI(j.te LlhHl t'.)ur vehicles and titteen people. Larger numbers l,-/i)IjJrj )H.:tke it difficult to maintaIn proper tracJ~ discipline and would ll\JII th0 e:·:clusive nature 01 the experience. It has to be stlf;'ssed tl,at irl ordel- to be able to market most of the Sperrgebiet as the only 'Jll.'3!J'-J) led desert of the world. it has Lo remall1 unspoile_d. (onsequentJy access to IllOSt of it has to be severely restrIcted. wlth llp~ tFJ<.l)ll:y rathel' than the quuntll;y ot the tourIst uctlV)tIes beJrH] elliphasi_sed ill these areas. The guiues, therefore. would l'"1a,veteJ be €):PS1'tS 111 theIr fields (e.g. archaeology. geology. boluny. biology, paleontology) with highly developed practical. social. and. if J:"-J5S1blp. uC.3demic SkIlls. The ['esult would be truly specialIsed expedItions, [or Wllich the tourist would be prepared to pay the If'.·quned pt~lIlJlltri. At-. the sallie time. the ruther stIff. price ot such l':.urs ""oulll blO' very' effectjve at l:eeping away the wrol"J~--lsort ot r·1l5t·~,mer .
1'.') 'l:eA ddventure route: The needs of the "wrong so-rt ot CLlstolllt"'r (F'.)rIS to UiJ.J-::':tl~f;;,1.rJs.woulcl~b'C: Calnel men) could. however. also be ;}('C':'ll1l11o(\clted.by esl.l.blishinq a 4:-:4 udventure route JI1 a linear sar;rificE' ,1rea. Idecdly tl11!O>would lie along the course ot the ~ cUll-ent N,)lure (>__Jl1sel:"vi11".ion road alony the escarpment fence. on the 0ast~rl1 SperrgebI~t boundary. from Garub to Hosh Pinah. l'his area has hpen subjected to qlJite a Larye illnount of vehicle di1mage durIng r.·IIV~1-~Jf.'11CY 91 '-Jziny in the ~~"urly 81ghlies. the recent constru1";:lic!11 of t~l1e tence. und ul5c, as the re~'Hllt at countless vehi.cle pi1trols by Hatun:: Conservation. At the same tillle it covers the whole gamut of aV'-1Il':lble desel-t terruins, and provides to!- extremely varied and hiQllly "interesting" off-road driving. The escarpment farms could b,'netJl from the 'C'xercise by setting up rest camps for the t:raveLlers. alld part of the rOille could detour into far-Inlands where tl1is is 0ccept0ble te· all parties concerned. A 111ghly experIenced guide would l~~d the way in a suitably exciting manner in a 4):4. to provide a low- Jisl-: ~,i'I\ield·.u1""e.
\;j t..,'ec..P0nal =>1cyifice area: Silllilat ly, It may be adVIsable to esLablisl1 a regiorlal sacrifice area in the dunefield between the I.IJ'--~lj'_'lJj:,..~ dttfield ..~nd the Ko..lis Tnoutd:ains. Such un ar-eu. however. t,!uuld have to be fenced in. preferably with coiled razor tape weighed ·~I':JWnWtUI old tires. Thel-e woul\l also h';l.ve to be a gate mdTlOed by a 1l,1Lul-e consel-vation official who would both collect a entrance fee and lI\aLe cerlain llldl aJ J. vehicles have lett again by sunset. A depOSIt system could be used Lo ensure that people leave on time via the <:'·OtT~C~.eXl t, ThJS wrJuld be the only part 01' the Sperrgeblel wtler e ullsupervised access would be condoned.
VI I AerlaL und fly--in 3iJ.taris: Tlwse would be of two baSIC types. TIH: f j tst \-/CoU 1d be mode I ed on the e:·:,J.lllplese t by Lou Schoeman. where tOlll ists are flown into a temporarily establIshed camp. from where Plljl~l'vehicle-boy'n or t\iklng actIvities are then conducted. "rtie second H'Juld be the case of where the actu':'d t I ight is the tour, The adVL1Jlta9BS 01" til""::;!:' activities are theIl" loVi envirofllllental lfnpa(;t, atld the [Jet lhaL ttley provide quick access for lourists WIth lImited LUlie, file ail r;raft als') pY'ovlde ,"In e;:cellent vantage poi.nt tor VH~\'llng the tles81't. ;::,ollie of the phenomena. in fact. such as lhe Rotel J(,':lIwn. can only be apµreclateu [rom the air. The disadvantages Include the possibility of disturbing game by flying too close to Jt at a low L'=,/'-'I. 1:1'tUSPi1l"ll'..:J':Jn~J Litem lnto lrl.jUrlng themselves. l\. turther crlnsldet'0Lion is tl'l~ fact that the presence of aircraft could detl'acL ll')IIl tlv: s~nse 01 isolution e:,~pellerll'ed by rJther tourists ",ftO ctre ;,l"g~llng it (Jut on t.he ground. 7\dvel'se Heather can result in pOOL 11,/11',lll <.".nrJJLll.;IIS. wlllJ canc":ll,itlon costs l"esulting III prlCf' esc,,,),-::ttif)l"ls. In .3(Wition, only the use at hIghly experIenced !:ius]J F'.ll,",Ls W0\lld enSUl e tllB safBLy 0L both the game und Lhe passenfjel's,
:3c:\.:el.3.1 l:ypes of ail"Craft would be suituble. but :3TOL fixed-WIng <_'l)tlr.;n:::~ lc.~r. tUlbo Pilatus Porter) or helIcopters (e.g, Bell Jet L(JIl \Ill) l~an0ell)(J. 'ills J.ow/O!rr'eaches or the urange Hiver are vel'}" good fe,1 C"311,::":'ing.CUt i'ent canoe oper'3.tol'S could easi ly e;.:tend lhell' 01~tlvij:ies to the bridge at OranJemund - beyond it lies a bIrd sanctury which rllust not be entered. V.l.ll) F'<,)]I'y"llekkin~~: The an~a around Garub is de1llonstrably SUItable fOl horses. rony trekking in tllis area (possibly along the old Kubub __ l~olkuppe r ou lB J HOU ILl l eave no add i t ion0.1 tracks. and wou I d I.'al'ilaiize un lite all'Bady e>:isting romance of t.he wild horses and µr'uvliJe additlollal :income for the escarpment farmers. i~:) Cal"avanning: Currently ttle only decent Cal"aVan park in the '11c:irrJty of the :::ipelTgebiet is the one on Shark Island, at Luederitz. It has fantastic facilities, and t.he currently lax security could '='i:I:Hlybe lInpyov i:llJproach to Luedeloitz, which wilt soon Le rectltieu. Oranjemund wljuld dlso be al1 excelle11t caravanning destination, but can currently only )J(: ,,,pµroaclled un tar from Port N011ot.h, u .route earmarked t,)y Lon,LAt" Cl('SUl'e at the end of 1993. :<) rr,,,jn tr ips: Severul successful speci loyAll 1'_'1 t:h~ e>-:p,Hlsl0n of this .kInd of iJ.ctivlty. it may even be I-F:JtlhHlil l,~ t'j investig;}te the possild 1ity of CiJlerlng foy enthusiasts L,y IH.vlng ,_t ste~tlJI loc'_Jn)(jLive running ref)ularly on the Sdllle lIne Ot" Just" ,)tl the section £r('ll1 Luederi tz to Aug. i\l,c',l:: nut ~~u]table tOt tout'i;Jt aclivitips The J?c.wel line from Hosl! Pinah to Luederitz cuts diagonally across the <1,<:el t. and j.ll theolY uifers a yery sate toUr-1st route along WIHCh It wOllld rlol be possible to get lost. It..is also possIble to rl€gollale llj,jslat this rouLe In J-wheel drive. Wilere it crosses the gravel ~)lains. however. it is subject to severe corrugations. Tllis phenomena '-'1I'"."."JU1'l',Jesp80ple 1..J) drive next to the track untll. like at Sossus vlei. tilE' '-)rigina] trad: i5 eventuilily replaced by a wlde swath ot rkstrucLi0Jl. In addit10n. :it would be i)dverse to tile ima.qe ot the J,J,jlJjiJ) ;.lInch 'd';;; are trying to create to have modern 11igh tension Wlres ,l~: {JJllsLanl Lourj ~.~tcOl1lpall.ions. ~0uth of the power line the desert should in any evellt not Le used: l;jl The prlV~:l.te C:DM road from Luedteritz to uranjemund does h:tve the ,"J.lLl-actloll of be-inq able to offer the tourist a different route out ,",1 Luedelitz as well as the possibility of overnIght facilities at fIJi}n]~nlund. Except fr!l~ the first third ot this road. however. It is visually illcl'edibly boring. with long. straight stretches to encourage speo'":,ding. The tact Lhi:l.t the ...game from the Klinghardt 1~10untains tends to ]lllgntle over this rOJlte would lead to a large amount of road 1 ['0Ut-lSl paLterns of the past and thelr possible implications. K,)llllarlskop is the ollly tourist attraction in the area for Wll1Ch any J.iqute~:; of tourist: i)ctivities could be obt.ailled. The amount ut t.ot'll Vlc:;llur:=: fot- tho? lo,st five years are as fed !t.JH:'J: 7 1988, 18 098 (Diaz festival) 1~89: 15 287 1990: 9 258 (Independence) 1991: lU 425 1992: 11 784 The iJiaz festival was accompanied by a massive promotion of the occasion in Namibia. South Africa and Portugal, so the comparatively 1arge amount 0 f vi s i tors was to be expected. 1989 was probab 1y a more or less "nannal" year, with the possibility of slightly inflated f igllr ':5 due to the "1 ast chance to see" syndrome ancl the arr iva 1 ot 4000 UNTAGpersonnel There were very few visitors in 1990, in spite of the attention of the whole world and the presence of Untag. This in all likelihood reflects a total lack of confidence on the part of potential tourists in the ability of the new government to ensure their personal safety. The steady increase since then would appear to suggest that these tourists are slowly coming to the conclusion that their fears Here unwarranted, and are now beginning to visit Namibia again. A detail.ed month by monLh breakdown of who exactly the Kolmanskop tourists wel-e in 1992 is as follo,",s: Month Total Namibian RSA German English French Italian Other ,Jan 780 105 267 306 17 6 0 79 Feb 486 36 80 293 18 4 8 47 Mar 596 32 87 359 23 10 2 83 Apr 1322 152 510 475 51 16 2 116 tvJ.ay 697 81 164 273 69 7 24 79 Jun 612 55 255 169 23 7 18 85 .luI 2177 90 148 498 44 39 10 8 155 Aug 1432 102 224 591 83 80 197 Sep 1030 35 292 512 55 47 23 66 oct 1009 78 179 604 44 32 9 63 Nov 897 26 47 681 30 33 10 70 Dec 746 120 298 192 26 7 12 91 Total 1178 912 3891 4953 483 288 315 942 96 of 7.7 33 42 4.1 2.4 2.7 8 Total These figures show that German tourists account for 42 % of all visitors. making them the single most important group. It also has to be noted that their numbers are spread fairly evenly throughout the year, the most visitors coming in April (the best time of the year in Luederitz) and from July to November (summer to autumn in Europe). The low numbers in June can be attributed to the quiet before the (European) summer vacation storm. The low numbers in December can be attributed to the fact that, traditionally, Germans prefer to be at 8 1I'",lll!? lc'r Xm'i.5. Cons ideci ng the German charac ter ot Luederl Lz. the ~111OSt towns and the original d.iamond mi.ning industry. the large amount ,_,t (_:enfl~lIlV15Jt0r~; is noL surprlsiIH,j. NQm:ilni). alter ul1. was t.he ('IllyGerman COlOl1y whiel, ever was a roaring financIal success. and tl1e t~('rrnans view the ~~perrCJebieL and its poignant remains of the economIC heaJ-L at this colony with great pride. Due to the strength ot the j¥kll"J.;:and the \ "UIE' liettndll Lour-ist. hOl.-iever. has very high standards as fiJr as '}]'u llie seccJJld most Jmportant group. the South AtYlCans. account tor JJ % ()f all visi 1_0"1'5. their numbers tanning incredlbly conspicuous peaJ.-;:s during Easter- lthe best time of the year in Luederltzl dnd especially dut'ing thr; July school h0lid,Jys (best time ot the year to travel 111 NiJlf\lilia by (.'drl Consldering the proximity ot South Afl-lCll and lts historical lillks to Namibia. this is not surprising. The rnClJOrj ty ot South AfLlcan tourists ilre not only envlronmentally awal'e. but more adveflturous, capable and experienced than theiy German counterparts wilen it comes to "roughing it". They a:re the kind or t()UI~lSts with viiiom one can canoe down the Orange River. pony-trek tlll-01Jgh the m'Jst impossible terYuill and hike the most challenging ]·ollles. hnoLher useful group are the dedicated caravanners. They IT.")vel HI small gt·oups and are genet-ally extremely enthusiasLlc ;lnd w811 onJalll~c:ed. Tiley do. howevel. l~eqUlre a tarred approach road and deCE'llL and secW'e camping facilities. A lllln0rity of the South African tourists are unfortullately less 'C'nvironment-fricml.1y. les,-~ disc:iplined. more gregarious. not all Ul.3.t Keen on illfornlatiofl and accustomed to lowey standards. They also ()rten tenel to be ilccorllpunied by margina_lly contyolled cl1ildren. C<~)n:'3equently. while th'~Y may bring in money. they are not nlC'cessarily the deset"l's best Jriend. They come to the desert for its proxinllty to home. Yatll~r' than for its natur~l attractions. ThIS soon turns lhellt tltte> !Jured Lln-ill-~3eeJ-::eYs who tteed Lu be both entertaltled Ltlld controlled to prevent them from spoiling the desert for others. Whlle they are a very s\lI(:ill lOinorit.y. one I!lUst keep thelll in mind. it would be advisuble to pl-ovide entertainment tor such tourists in areas where tIle dalllalje they 1(Io)Yii" is jiwited. "!'llr"y,ire in tact ldeal (';,ndirlates 9 f"r .lx4 d~VeJltLlrA routes and for t\lrnillq loose 111 regional sacrIfIce ~reas. J"kotOt (It relil,'-lning ~;3 96 of the total amount. at VIsItors lNurnllnans. EnglIsh. Fl-ench. Italian and others) seem to have a preference for .'/1 ~3Jt 1Jl9 Lueder 1tz Hi Augus L . \:un aut and possible future trends (>JJnp,1reci to 199~; the number of ::3outh AfrIcan visItor's tor the month;;; of Jalluary through July in 1993 dropped by 2u.5 %. '[he flgul-e for cJu]y tnortlJally llle best month) was () full 40 ;'6 down on that of the !Jrev10lis year Considering the worselling political situation in Soull] A.tt Jca. this was to be e:-:pecled. During the same time period (Feb- .Jut). Lhe number of German visitOl~S decreased by only 2.2 %. ThIS w,-,uld i)ppear to suggest that Gennany is a dependable source of tOUl ists, nu m;3.tter what the political situation in Southern J\frica IVlppens t'-J b~. I:'h':c'cc'wpletloll ut the tarTlng at the last remailling stretch ot gri.-lvel road b~tweerl Luederitz and Keetmallshoop in 1994 is likely to lead to 1111in(:te;}!3e in the amOlJ.nt or tourists V1ill~O embark upon the lrlp. PrilHe candidates would. be those with caravans and more expensivl':'cars. '1"\18 !3tabj l.L:;"il10rt ()f the pol:itical situatIon in South Africa Ltft'?l· nl,:lJolily rule ha,s settled in will eventually lead to illlproved tourlsrn tor t.he whole reqion. Initial concertI about the outcome ot the ~19ctlons and tl1e nature of the transition may. however, keep the :j')utlii\tr iCi}n3 A~: (m- as world trends are concerned. the lat.est buzzword in tour-isill J3 ECU}i)UIUS"fi','. The judicious use 01 small-scale specialIst tours III til>:! ~:3perrqebi et 'dould be the ultimate in ecotourism. makIng NamibJa i:l V10rld lead'jr 111 that field. Financial viability and irtfrastructure 'lile tourist opel·ation at Kolmanskop current ly breaks even In spite of tIle fact that Luederitz is supposed to be a nlining and rlsillng cen1:p.t'. the eCs.Dc,my of the town also benefits en01'lllou!;;l~Y tl'lom HI t:'-'llriSlll. Frorn ,June lo July 199·.~ the monthly turnover or SPl\.H. the l~[gesl food relailel' ill l,uederiLz. illereased 0y 14 % in respollse too the lnC lux e,i 1565 additional visitors. Fro\ll June to ,July 1~Y3 the tl11-nover increase was 21 % for only 935 additional visitors. As fal· d~': tll':! ",verill1 picture is concerned. there can be no doubt that the :i},~rY..gebi('t will be able ~pla_y an important l'ole irl-attl-.-)ct.ir~T ----l."lll l~)t,S tv L,uth tIle :JI.tlll.h and to Ni:\lIliln<.\ LiS a wilole. The existing infraslructure in Luederitz is reasonably adequate as far ;',~=: !..l,:tn~3"pot-t -is concerned: It ha~:: an underutilized r-ailway. a sheltered hal-bor suitable for yachts and small cruise ships. arid a t-.,-HP:.'!d airs1rip Hhich c0ulu easily be upgraded by being provlded Hith a. [t.::lxe-path and a contrcol tower. The completion of the tarring of the last sectIon ot gravel on the road to Keetmanshoop in 1':::194 will VilStly imµrovB the viability of approaching Luederitz by roud. l":cJ1llbirICdHitll 0.11 L_inks to both Cape Town (vii3l Uranjemundl i.i.nd Wl1ldlioek (via W.:dvis Day) this means that Luederitz. in spite of being "In the middl-; of now!JBr-e" is actuiJ.lly highly accessIble. Accornmodatlun. hOHeveY. is a bit of a problem. as both the quantity \o3lbout 21)0) and the qUulity of the beds uvallable leaves much to be dosH·ed. According to the people in the Hotel business, the short lllqll f--:;(:.1:-;l'l1~C; (/\prll <.-HlllJuly) rn.-~keit ul18cunuIlllcdl to j)t"',viLl,,' f:')~t1a bBds. as these would juco;t stalld emply for most 01 the year. 11.. If)l I '-)"I~_-;that. 'wi r.h tll'3 current intrastcuctUJ:e. Llledel~i.tz._1S J~ettel- sui Led to small-scale sµeciallst lours througllOut the year tllan to 1I1""f:-;~3 ll)ur-:i:3ffl during -111e-peak periods. The swing to lllass tourlStll would Ullly be viable if ttle SeaSQllal fluctuatIons could be levelled out ';('f1siderably. AI'c!"r;::teology nlr~ desert. its geOlogy, its plants. its i3-rnmals and its hlstOllC ruins are tllere for all to see. but the BUSHMEN who once Inhabited tllis nlaJestlc terraIn are now gone. An archueologist can bl-Jng the c,ld desert dwellers "back to life" for the tourists. thus adding the HUfJ1.AN uirnensi'=l1l to the desert. As demonstrated elsewhere (Gr~ece. Egypt. South America) Archaeology can be of great interest to l,:'urlst8. Ur Dieter NoLi IS the only archaeologist who has l-eS€i11"ched the Souther-n Namib in the last ten years. Accoldlng to hilll tile preh:U:;tory ot the :3perrgelJiet, hlghli9hting as it does the h'31"1non1' hetHe-en eat ly man and the harsh desert environment, fOl~ms an .Indispensable pal"t of any effort Q.t hjgh-quality ecotourism. Any environmentally a,o/al'e tourist would want to knoH the detai Is of tIle lOW--Itnpact utilization of the terrain by its original inhabItants. 1tal so has to be reltli"'lllbered that a camp i ng site wh i ch was idea 1 Ih(Jusunds c,f years ago (availabiliLy of water. tuel and shelter) would still be good today. The same applies to good routes (easy \-ll.-:tclients. dva.J1Q.bility 01 camping sites en route). Consequently /ll(,del'f) desert travl'?lJers will often select the same camping sites 03nd UJe sallie route!;.;' oJ.";' the_zr pre/l1storic predecessors. This \l\e<3n~:;th'-:1t dll µrosl--'~ctjve r'outes and camping sites of specialist deser-t tours 11 have to be carefully vetted by an experienced desert archaeologIst. Id'.o'<111y. ),OH€Ver. hE: should actuall.y ace,:.omp."}ny the tours a::::~.1- speCIalist guide. In his three-year study of the Koichab RIver Valley Lit- nr)jl tound that many or the archaeologIcal sites he located were III,3. 1 ked on the old German maps a~; permanent or temporary Hatel"- holes. l-je t-,l,~o found that s<,:,veral of the routes uti 1ized by the GennoJlls had been popular' with the l'egion's prehistoric illhabitants. ThlS is not dll thi3.t surpr ising. since the Germans prospectol's initially used "tallle" Bushmen as scouts. I\rchaeologic;:dly. Hhat the Sperrgebiet really needs is the long-term. fui I-time ':lttention of an experienced desert archaeologist witl-] the hl18t of conductIng a base-line survey of the entire area. He would. Ilave to be fluent in German, as only tllat will enable 11im to benefit tully 1rom the Health or colonial German 1Iler,;l,ture and maps. lt HouJd also enable him to pass on his findings in a popular form to lIle IJI'-,d~.ttl (';'~tJnilll t()lJt·l~::tS. thus (~nabLiny tHm to be etlJployed by the t,julisl industlj. l t H,·,1jIII br: h{~,;t tor the def-~eyt. the tOUyistfo; and t.he t(lltr ol='f'ralor"s L'-, malldy conduct stllall-scale specIali:o::t tours Hl the inLel"jor ot the :__)p"'ll·CII':~bi,-;,t. The Gyget ll1drket for ~-;uch tours woul.d largely consist c'[ ;J.enni:lns. They d,Y() already the single most numel-OUS group of vi.~jit'jrs. ,::Inc!.ha"-;-::-a ve:3ted 11,3.tlorlc.ll and cultural interest 111 the ::':perl'gebiet and its past. It 1S therefore important to .£r~sel·ve the real()rt'S cr:dQnial i]8nlliJ.n heritaqe. and to enhance the quality of srll.~ll-scale specialist tom-s. Pal~t of this effort should lJe 111 the tUlllt ot on-going bdseline scientific studies. notably in the field at historical and prBhistoric archaeology. A certain amount of rnass t"Ul1}31l1 is also called for. but thlS sh0ul.d be limited to those areas of lhe Sperrgebiet which have already been disturbed. Every effol·t shuuld be made to keep the unspoiled part of the desert as unspoil.ed as it is. as that -is its g;eatest attr'3.ction~ I would like to repeat thi'tt: I~VERY EFYOHT SHOULD BE IV\ADE Tu KEEP THE UNSPUILEU PART r)f THE DESERT AS UNSPOILED AS IT IS. AS THAT IS ITS GHEATE5'T ATTRACTION.