Avis appoints new general manager The new general manager of Avis, Janette Fourie – who was appointed internally – took up her new position in January. She succeeds Oliver Majewski, who has been relocated to an Avis branch in Cape Town. According to Fourie, the transition went smoothly because it was an internal appointment. After leaving South Africa, she was appointed as Branch Manager at Avis in 2006. In 2010 she became Area Operations Manager. Fourie feels privileged to be associated with the Avis brand. She is excited about the coming high tourist season in July. www.avis.co.za
NEWS awards sponsors The Namibian Environment and Wildlife Society
(NEWS) awarded its 2010 and 2011 sponsors at an event in March with a
certificate thanking them for their support. The 40 sponsors include
Bank Windhoek, Rössing Uranium, John Meinert Printing and Ashanti Gold.
The Etosha Recycling and Black-backed Jackal Management projects in
Etosha were presented. The projects highlight issues that need to be
addressed in the area to manage the waste and jackal problems
effectively. www.news-namibia.org
Gobabeb receives support The Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Finland, Asko Luukkainen, signed a financial agreement in February to support the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre. The N$1.7 million will be used by the Centre to reach out to more schools and learners and to create an increased awareness of the Outreach Programme. The main objective of the cooperation is to alleviate poverty by means of economical, social and ecologically sustainable development. www.gobabebtrc.org
Travel Map launched The Namibia Travel Map was officially launched in February. An electronic copy will soon be available. The map will be republished in August 2011, January 2012 and August 2012. The aim of the publication is to include all the towns in Namibia. The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) welcomes the initiative, as the updating of information is vital for tourists and locals alike. www.travelmap.com
Important notice from Hobatere Hobatere Lodge, situated 80 km north of Kamanjab, recently issued a statement that its contract to manage and run the concession area has not yet been renewed, and that it is consequently unable to guarantee future reservations. As a result, it is suggested that anyone holding reservations after 1 May 2011 should consider making a contingency plan to move them somewhere else. All prepaid reservations will be refunded. The Hobatere campsite now falls within the roadside concession that went out on public tender. Hobatere Lodge will no longer be responsible for any further campsite reservations. For future reservations, contact the Ehirovipuka Conservancy chairman, Asser, at 081 352 3091.
Namib footage for Japanese show A Japanese TV film crew visited Tok Tokkie Trails recently to shoot footage for a highly popular show entitled Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q! (travel to the ends of the earth). This weekly show attracts about 100 million viewers, who come from every walk of life. The crew encountered many of the amazing inhabitants of the Namib with their remarkable adaptation strategies, such as Grant’s golden mole, Brain’s blind legless skink and the tok-tokkie beetles.
Fenata’s contact details change The Federation of Namibia Tourism Associations (Fenata) has changed its contact details to welcome@fenata.org. All mails to fenata@mweb.com.naand and tcouncil@mweb.com.na will be redirected to the new address, and the old addresses will be phased out. The fax number has changed to 088 638 280. The following members can be contacted directly: Jackie Asheeke – ceo@fenata.org Tira Nangolo – pa@fenata.org Noleen Mouton – officeadmin@fenata.org Ulricke Ullrich – intern@fenata.org www.fenata.org
New management at Gecko Guesthouse The Gecko Guesthouse, owned by Ben and Yolanda De Nysschen, has a new manager in Angela Dias, who was appointed in February. With her management team in place, Angela prides herself on offering high-quality customer service to her guests and creating a warm feeling of home away from home. Gecko Guesthouse has ten guest rooms and one family room – all equipped with TV, air-conditioning and a bar fridge. www.guesthousegecko.com
