Ponta Dundo Eco Camp

The business concept is as follows: the establishment of a joint venture company between a local association of island dwellers in the BANP (Thomba Yedho), the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park Administration and a local private sector tour operator (Sailaway Lda) to provide an Environment and Community Oriented Camp (ECO Camp) where visitors to the island can stay overnight in tented accommodation.

The Bazaruto Archipelago has long been a tourist destination in the Southern African region. Since the end of the war in 1992, the archipelago has been receiving increasing numbers of visitors from overseas. To cater for part of this market, a number of high class lodges have been developed, offering 4 or 5 star accommodation. However, an even larger market exists in the middle range.

This middle range market is the client base of Sailaway. Our client numbers in the past 3 years have grown as follows:
2003: 877 clients, spending 1,846 nights
2004: 1,928 clients, spending 3,688 nights
2005: 2,250 clients, spending 4,040 nights

Sailaway clients have until recently been accommodated at a campsite on the islands, a privately-run venture charging varying rates for basic accommodation in huts and dormitories. With an average accommodation cost of $20/person/night, Sailaway clients paid over $80,000 in accommodation costs. That campsite has now closed its doors, in order to renovate and cater for upmarket tourism.

This current client base is well established; it includes 16 tour operating companies, a number of referring agencies, backpackers and adventure travellers. Our client base is 40% Dutch, 50% from other European countries, Australia and New Zealand and 10% from the region.

Our plan is to assist the community association to establish the ECO Camp as an attractive mid-range accommodation alternative and to deliver 100% of our existing and future client base to this camp. The venture will be guaranteed a market base from its inception. Thomba Yedho will directly benefit from accommodation receipts and Sailaway will be able to offer a well-managed, reasonably priced accommodation option for its clients.

Year 1 start up costs include: design & construction costs, media and publicity, establishment and implementation of training and skills transfer, capacity building with respect to TY, and upgrading the provision of services and equipment for Sailaway.

Year 2 costs include: continuing training and skills transfer, media and publicity.

Sailaway will market the ECO Camp through its existing media advertising, its own website, other travel-based internet websites, tourism guides and fairs, travel agencies and tour operators. It will deliver the existing client base to the venture.

We are confident that this venture will allow us to extend the market of Sailaway clients. A large number of people, particularly from European markets, are increasingly interested in participating in tourism activities that have beneficial impacts for local communities and economies. We will also target the market of educational groups, students and volunteer researchers.

Sailaway has some potential competitors who operate informal dhow sailing ventures. They have to this point been unable to satisfy the market's demands for reliable service and legal establishment. That said, we have assistied them in improving their service, and will continue to do so.

The only other low/middle range accommodation option within the BANP in the last few years has been badly managed and operated. Foreign investors have bought shares in the facility with the intention of developing a luxury lodge. Consequently there are no competitors to the proposed venture.

Business partners will be the Thomba Yedho Association (TY), the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park Administration (BANP), Sailaway Dhow Safaris (Sailaway) and CARE International.

TY is the representative body for the Bazaruto Island community. TY will be a primary shareholder of the venture providing trainee staff and ensuring transparent allocation of income for community development.

The BANP Administration is the body responsible for the social, economic and environmental management of the BANP. They will jointly manage the camp and ensure the proportional allocation of accrued profits.

Sailaway, based in Vilanculos, will provide skills transfer and marketing, financial and managerial assistance. The value added by Sailaway is its established commitment to fair tourism, a high level of professionalism and an existing client base.

CARE is an international NGO active in the BANP and Vilanculos area. It currently provides capacity building for TY in conjunction with Sailaway. CARE will provide financial systems development and training for the Association and bring its project co-ordination experience to the partnership.

Start-up funding
In kind contributions -
BANP authorities: land for project, infrastructure development, including borehole installation, park warden’s offices - valued at €13k
Sailaway: tented accommodation, training and advisory services, catering equipment, materials transport, marketing and booking services, labour - valued at €20k
CARE: training support to Association, coaching support for partnership - valued at €10k

In cash contribution -
Sailaway - €10k

(In)direct employment

40 people will be directly employed by the venture, with a further 30 indirect employment opportunities created at a local level

(In)direct income

The total income for employees (salaries) is estimated at €40,000/year.
The potential annual profits for the association (for community development objectives) is projected at $30,000

The total indirect income (spin-offs) is estimated at €20,000/year.

Quality of living standard

Income generation has the potential to directly improve the livelihoods of over 50 households, benefiting over 350 island inhabitants.

Profits will also assist the association to invest in much needed community facilities: schools, clinics, potable water provision, markets and association-owned boat transport. Services such as health education including HIV, civil registry, adult education, and natural resources management could be initiated.
These initiatives would improve living standard of many island inhabitants in the short and long term.

Knowledge and skills

Training will increase the competency of the association staff and quality of delivery.
Skills training programs including English literacy programs will be developed for employees, to access further employment opportunities in the tourism sector in the long term.

The information centre will promote the historical, cultural and environmental aspects of the BNP.

The project will raise public awareness of the community’s capacity to contribute to sustainable tourism and resource usage.

Environment and biodiversity

The BANP is an environmental hotspot: home to over 80% of fish species occurring in the Indo-Pacific region. It is the last viable breeding area on the East coast of Africa for the Dugong, and is home to 4 species of turtles and 5 species of dolphins.

Through eco-tourism practices, the training of community guards and dissemination of information within the BANP, the project will help contribute to the long term preservation and sustainable use of the BANP’s natural resources.

A key benefit is that community ownership and income generation from the venture will help reduce natural resource conflicts between island inhabitants and other sectors of the BANP.

The environmental impact of the camp will be minimised in a number of ways, including:

Use of PV solar panels coupled with waterless toilet facilities.
Construction using organic, locally obtained materials wherever possible.
High quality tented accommodation to reduce the environmental footprint.
Waste disposal: glass, tins and plastics will be removed from the BANP and disposed of on the mainland.
Water conservation and recycling methods will be implemented