Coastal tour operators challenge draft Dorob rules

Four long-established tour operators at the coast have challenged the environment and tourism ministry over a proposed new management framework for the Dorob National Park, warning that its management plan could change how tourism is managed along the coastline.

In a submission dated 1 July, and seen by Namibian Sun, the operators raised objections to the ministry's environmental management plan (EMP), claiming that it had been developed without consultation and failed to reflect the unique circumstances of the Dorob National Park.

Their objection is in response to the ministry’s public notice issued on 23 June, which invited interested and affected parties to comment on the plan.

The ministry’s EMP proposes a single environmental management framework for tourism activities across the Dorob, Namib-Naukluft, Skeleton Coast and Tsau //Khaeb national parks.

Among other measures, it sets out requirements for tourism concessions, permits, environmental compliance, route management, visitor activities and the responsibilities of tourism operators.

The four operators are Chris Nel of Living Desert Adventures, Gerald Kolb of Charly's Desert Tours, Duan Oppermann of Tommy's Tours and Safaris CC, and Steve Braine of Batis Birding.

“We do so because the manner in which this document has been developed and published – without meaningful regional consultation, without direct notification to known affected parties, and without any acknowledgement of the historical and operational realities of the Dorob National Park – makes it necessary for us to seek broader public and institutional support,” the submission reads.

The four operators are members of the Tourism Association of Namibia (TASA).

They argue that Dorob National Park differs from other national parks and should not be regulated under a single environmental management framework covering four separate protected areas.

“The Dorob National Park is not a remote wilderness. Treating it identically to the Skeleton Coast or the Namib-Naukluft in terms of concession obligations, route restrictions and compliance requirements is not only operationally inappropriate – it is factually dishonest about what this park is and where it came from,” the submission argues.

‘Dorob is different’

Dorob combines the coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Henties Bay.

The operators argue that the draft EMP fails to recognise businesses that were already operating legally before the Dorob National Park was proclaimed in 2010.

They say tourism operators who had conducted business in the former West Coast Recreational Area for decades were allowed to continue operating after the park's proclamation because their businesses predated the protected area.

“The draft EMP makes no mention of these operators, their historical rights, or their permit status.

“This is not an oversight. It is the mechanism by which the ministry seeks to erase the distinction between operators who built their businesses before the park existed, and new entrants who would apply for concessions under an entirely different legal and policy framework,” they state.

They questioned the ministry’s consultation process, which they claimed omitted them before the ministry’s plan was published, arguing that a 21-day consultation period was not enough.

“...despite [the ministry] holding an attendance register of operators who participated in a consultation meeting on 17 April 2026, and despite an explicit written request having been made on 18 May 2026 that those parties be notified directly when the notice was published. That request went unacknowledged and unheeded,” they said.

Court battle

The operators' objections come against an ongoing legal dispute with the ministry over tourism concessions in the Dorob National Park.

Nel told Namibian Sun that the dispute has already been heard before the High Court, which issued an order in the matter, adding that the ministry failed to comply with the order.

“The court matter is not over. We have already returned to court because we believe the ministry has failed to comply with the court order. We have assembled extensive documentation relating to the concession process and remain committed to pursuing the matter through the legal process,” Nel said.

The ministry’s 21-day consultation period ended on 14 July.

“Since then we have heard absolutely nothing from the ministry. We have received no acknowledgement of our submission and no indication of what the next steps are,” Nel said.

Questions sent to the ministry’s spokesperson, Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, went unanswered.