Tourism concession and partnerships in protected areas: IUCN WCPA TAPAS Group side event
Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP14, Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, 27 November 2018
This side event brought together participants from various regions across the world, including protected area managers and tourism businesses. The event:
Showcased the CBD guidelines on Tourism partnerships and concessions for protected areas – presentation here
Launched the IUCN Best Practice Guidelines on Tourism and visitor management in protected areas – presentation here
Profiled a forthcoming guidance from the TAPAS Group to help evaluate economic impacts of tourism in protected areas – presentation here
Tourism partnerships and concessions in protected areas: Cooperating for success
iSimangaliso Wetland Park, World Heritage Site, South Africa, 30 May – 2 June 2017
A networking meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity / IUCN WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group project ‘Tourism partnerships and concessions in protected areas: Cooperating for success’ took place at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site between 30 May and 2 June 2017. Participants included 32 representatives of 13 countries: Botswana, Canada, Lesotho, Madagascar Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The delegates were representatives of government ministries of tourism and environment, protected area agencies, and tourism boards.
Over the course of four days, the delegates worked through a series of presentations and working group sessions that provided opportunities to share experiences, and learn from one another. They shared stories of their successes and challenges they had experienced, and also options for improving concessioning and partnership processes in their protected areas.
| Presentation | Presenter |
| Guidelines for tourism partnerships and concessions in protected areas | Anna Spenceley |
| Understanding tourism | Sue Snyman |
| Fundamentals of tourism and concessions in protected areas | Paul Eagles |
| iSimangaliso World Heritage Site | Terri Castis |
| Integrating sustainability | Sue Snyman |
| Sources of finance | Sue Snyman & Paul Eagles |
| Legal framework for concessions in protected areas | Paul Eagles |
| Getting ready: Scoping, design and feasibility | Anna Spenceley |
| Making it happen: Procurement and contracting | Anna Spenceley |
| Managing concessions in protected areas | Paul Eagles |
| Getting the job done: Skills and capacity needs | Sue Snyman |
| Concession ‘speed dating’ | Anna Spenceley |
| Planning follow on meetings | Sue Snyman |
| Phase 2? | Anna Spenceley |
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Tourism in Transfrontier Conservation Areas: A vehicle for development and sustainable life
World Parks Congress, Sydney, Australia, 14 November 2014
Tourism in Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) is emerging as a powerful new tourism product in the Southern African Development Community. With transboundary mountain biking, walking trails, running and canoe events, cultural events and festivals, in addition to transboundary routes and concessions, they can provide revenue and raise awareness for TFCAs. An expert panel presented examples of transboundary tourism products from SADC, and participants discussed the benefits and challenges associated with them. New guidelines for tourism concessions in SADC TFCAs were also discussed.
| Presentation | Presenter |
| Introduction to the session and the TAPAS Group | Anna Spenceley (TAPAS Group) |
| Tour de Tuli – transboundary mountainbike event between Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, in the Greater Mapungubwe TFCA | Susan Snyman (TAPAS Group, Wilderness Safaris) |
| Presentation on Desert Knights – transboundary a canoe and mountain bike event between South Africa and Namibia in the Ais Ais TFCA | Roland Vorwerk (Boundless Southern Africa) |
| Presentation on the Pafuri Cross Border Trail and Shangane Cultural Festival – a transboundary walking trail and cultural event in the Great Limpopo TFCA | Lamson Makuleke (Makuleke Community) and Piet Theron (Great Limpopo TFCA) |
Video of the session:
- YouTube link: http://youtu.be/rshvqoYccrA
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Workshop on tourism concessions in Transfrontier Conservation Areas in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Airport Grand Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-3 September 2013
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) developed a program that aims to provide guidance on the establishment and development of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the region, with the support of GiZ. A two-day international workshop was held to contribution to the development of sustainable tourism concession model guidelines for TFCAs in SADC in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2013.
There were 54 participants from 11 SADC countries at the meeting. These included representatives drawn from protected area agencies, TFCA management units, ministries of environment and tourism, tourism authorities, tourism companies (developers and operators), finance institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
The agenda, and links to some of the presentations, can be found below.
| Session and presentation | Facilitator/ presenter |
| Overview of the TFCA Guidelines project and progress | Anna Spenceley |
| Mozambique and the concession procurement process in Maputo Special Reserve | Bartolemeu Soto |
| Contract management in tourism concessions & troubleshooting | Giju Varghese |
| Panel session: Transboundary event products, promotion and challenges: – Roland Vorwerk (Boundless Southern Africa) – Zandry Haimbomdi (Namibia Wildlife Resorts) – Piet Theron (GLTFCA) – Sue Snyman (CITW) |
Anna Spenceley |
| SADC Portal | Martin Leineweber |
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Concessioning tourism opportunities in conservation areas and maximizing rural development: Lessons and the way forward for Mozambique and other Southern African countries
Girasol Indy Village, Maputo, Mozambique, 19-22 March 2012
The IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS group) worked in partnership with Technoserve and the African Safari Lodges Foundation (ASLF) to host a 4-day international training workshop on tourism concessions. This was held between 19 and 22 March 2012 in Maputo with support from USAID/SPEED and the Ford Foundation. The focus of the event was review best practices and challenges from southern Africa, to build capacity in regionally on tourism concessions, and to strengthen networks and communication between interested stakeholders, and also to review a concessions manual developed for Mozambique.
annaspenceley 