JOURNEYS NAMIBIA

Amid the harshness of Namibia`s untamed beauty and the long distances one has to travel between destinations, visitors are often pleasantly surprised to find such well-appointed lodges. While the landscape is wild and unforgiving, you can find respite from the heat and dust through luxurious comforts and excellent service in Journeys Namibia run lodges.

Journeys manage an exclusive portfolio of unique destinations where guests have a personalized and authentic experience which stems from service excellence by community employed personnel. Journeys Namibia strives to become the Namibian management company of choice for both private and community owned lodges which support sustainable eco tourism.

As a reputable management company that takes the strain off lodge owners by taking care of the day to day running of lodges. We have many years of experience in the tourism industry and share an intimate passion for Namibia’s unique landscape and its people.

The more specialised tourism becomes, the more we recognise the necessity and importance of promoting Namibia`s hidden treasures. Journeys has the vision to promote a sustainable tourism industry by forging sound partnerships with likeminded individuals who value the same conservation aspirations as we do and who share our passion for the land and its inhabitants.

We are tremendously proud to be part of a country that protects more than 45% of its land surface under some kind of conservation
policy, allowing wildlife to roam freely. Journey’s Namibia wants to be part of every visitor to Namibia’s experience. Through foresight and hard work, we aim to make a difference.

PORTFOLIO
• Auas Safari Lodge
• Fish River Lodge
• Grootberg Lodge
• Hoada Campsite
• Hobatere Lodge
• Kunene River Lodge
• Shipwreck Lodge

OUR CORE VALUES
Our core beliefs of the company directly dictates our behavior and actions:
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Commitment to innovation and service excellence
• A High-regard for our clients, staff and peers alike
• Commitment to people and planet

COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Journeys understand the combination of comprehending cultural and economic needs of local communities, while respecting and honouring sensitive environments. Our lodges are therefore valuable to the community and are environmentally sustainable. We operate in a non-interfering manner, allowing lodge owners and communities the space to grow. We remain at the ready should our services be required.

In a global first for Namibia, ≠Khoad i-//Hôas Conservancy in the Erongo-Kunene region has been recognised as one of the world’s Top 100 sustainable destinations! The 4th annual Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100 award winners were announced by Green Destinations – a destination certification body that is accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

The theme of this year’s Top 100 awards was “Tourism to benefit local communities”, a theme that is well-suited to the Namibian context where community-managed conservancies often pursue tourism development as a way of generating benefits through sustainable utilisation of natural resources. This innovative, community-based approach is based on the principle that local people are the best custodians of indigenous natural resources and their sustainable management, resulting in over 45% of Namibia being under some form of conservation management.

≠Khoadi-//Hôas was one of the first four such conservancies to be gazetted in Namibia in 1998 and operates the 100% community owned Grootberg Lodge and Hoada Campsite in partnership with Journey’s Namibia.

Both Grootberg Lodge and Hoada Campsite have received the highest accolade – 5 Desert Flowers – from Namibia’s sustainable tourism certification body, Eco Awards Namibia, adding further merit to the destination’s global top 100 recognition.

Grootberg’s Wildlife Fund: Three anti-predator kraals have been built by the ≠Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy for their community members thanks to the contributions of the Grootberg Lodge’s wildlife predators fund. The conservancy is also busy building a protection wall, a dam and a tank at farm Mooiport near Anker.

The fund was established in 2013 to assist the community with human-wildlife conflict. Grootberg Lodge donates a percentage of their activities for each guest’s sighting of a predator in order to compensate losses from farmers. Endangered species such as rhino or elephant are also part of the scheme.

SERVICES
Lodge Development & Expansion:

Members of Journeys Namibia have proven experience in development and construction of lodges and lodge infrastructure in difficult terrain. Project skills include:
• Community liaison
• Site location
• Liaison with architects
• Developing access roads
• Construction logistics
• Building management

Financial Administration, Planning & Deal Structuring:
Financial administration is another aspect of running a lodge that can be extremely time consuming. Journeys Namibia’s financial administration services can free up time with billing services, payment and payroll administration, VAT and general taxation. Financial planning and deal structuring are invaluable when establishing lodges, particularly when aspects such as community participation and BB BEE come into play. Journeys Namibia ensures that everything runs smoothly.

Training:
Once a lodge has been set up, the difference between average and excellent depends on your staff. Training is crucial to ensure that standards remain of the highest level, not only in guest service, but in every aspect of lodge operations.

Periodic refreshers and retraining will help to keep staff motivated and prevent apathy from setting in. Journeys Namibia provides a complete spectrum of training, including housekeeping, guiding, maintenance, administration and the all important aspects of guest services.

Reservations Management:
Journeys Namibia can help you manage and handle bookings through trusted systems and efficient technology. We offer accurate and timely reporting to keep lodge owners, management and staff up to date at all times during the reservation process. Through our systems we can help you handle block bookings, room release and cancellations in a more effective manner.

Marketing & Communication:
Lodge marketing is a crucial yet rarely understood aspect of running a successful lodge. It is a time-consuming exercise that is often mistaken for communication or promotion without considering all aspects involved.

A successful marketing campaign helps to determine your goals, value proposition and target market. Once these are established, you can communicate with your market. Journeys Namibia offers a complete marketing service which includes brand strategy, market assessment, budgeting and communication, including liaison with key media. In addition, Journeys Namibia develops key trade clients and continuously attends important networking sessions and major shows.