Only Mpumalanga tourists allowed at MTPA nature reserves
With the tourism industry slowly opening under lockdown level 3, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has also opened accommodation at its various nature reserves to leisure travellers.
MBOMBELA – According to MTPA’s CEO, Johannes Nobunga, tour operators with guided tours in open safari vehicles (OSVs) will also be permitted to operate as soon as the regulations pertaining to their operations are gazetted.
“Accommodation facilities that have been opened include the concessions at the Manyeleti and Songimvelo nature reserves. The various nature reserves will continue to provide self-drives, hiking, fishing and hunting activities.
At the moment nature reserves that are used as quarantine sites are not available for accommodation bookings but are open for self-drives and OSVs. No picnic or swimming sites will be open, only the ablution facilities. We encourage all game drives to be booked and prepaid for through our central reservations office,” said Nobunga.
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He continued, “We would like to remind all our visitors that as per the announcement made by the minister of
tourism, overnight accommodation will only be allowed for intraprovincial travel only. Only the residents of the province will be allowed to make bookings and access the nature reserves. Overnight guests, as well as day visitors, will be required to provide proof of residence when making a booking as well as during check in.
“No more than two people will be allowed per accommodation facility, except for parents and children,” Nobunga said the MTPA management and the concessionaires at their reserves have been working tirelessly to ensure
that they prepare thoroughly for the expected arrivals of guests to these nature reserves.
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“It is our responsibility to ensure that as we open our nature reserves for overnight stays, self-drives, hiking, fishing as well as hunting, we continue to follow strict health protocols to safeguard both our staff and guests,” explained Nobunga. He reminded visitors to always wear their face masks, maintain social distancing and follow the necessary directives relation to transport capacity while visiting the nature reserves.
“The regulations set by the Department of Transport in terms of 70 per cent vehicle capacity for self-drives will still apply. We appeal to our visitors to adhere to these guidelines to avoid disappointment upon arrival at the gate,” he cautioned.
