KNP turns Spanish

by: Landé Cawood
6th May 2008

SKUKUZA - Lowvelders couldn’t believe their eyes last week when 300 Spanish tourists arrived at the Kruger National Park, waving sombreros matching their safari outfits.

The Lowveld received a massive tourism injection when a local safari operator, Vula Tours, was used by an inbound Spanish tour operator, Value SA, to bring 300 tourists to South Africa. The Spaniards are employees of Groupama, which is a Spanish insurance company.

On Monday April 21 KMIA was abuzz with the colourful guests laughing and talking loudly, having just landed in four separate charter planes. The big tour group was collected by 56 game viewers that took them to a brand new tented camp inside KNP. The elegant Nkambeni camp is situated near the Numbi gate and provided its guests with an unforgettable safari. According to Mr Leon Smith, owner of Vula Tours, the game viewing was fantastic and most of the group saw the Big 5 but also many smaller animals. He continued that the big safari created many jobs as 56 guides and many people from the local communities were employed for the duration of the safari. "Our aim is to restore our province to its rightful place as the number one tourist destination," he said.

The Spanish group was taken to the local George Mhaule School where they had the opportunity to meet the excited children and principal as well as chief Mhaule, after whom the school was named. The children received many presents which included stationary gifts and about R25 000 was donated to the school to be used for various projects. The grateful children entertained the foreigners with their African singing and dancing which held the Spaniards spellbound.

The foreign tourists waved sad goodbyes on their last day and departed on April 24 for Cape Town.