Isabelle Arnoux, head of the groups department at Matiti Safaris

Why the sudden interest in Namibia?

Isabelle Arnoux - I'm still wondering... Maybe because of television programmes, or show business people who come in relatively large numbers, or articles in the press, photos, reports... Maybe also because it's a problem-free country and very safe for tourists.

Is it that important?

I. A. - Oh yes! In 2007, we recorded an increase of 80 %. It's a real explosion. As a result, even though we're building a lot and there's no shortage of space, there still aren't enough lodges. Especially in terms of number of beds, to accommodate large incentive groups. As a result, we are sometimes forced to build programmes according to availability rather than to meet our customers' wishes. We have a huge number of requests, and a lot of competition from other destinations... But Namibia is still an expensive destination. And a long way away, too.

What is your typical programme? For what size of group?

I. A. - For us, the best is around thirty people. We've dealt with groups of up to 70 people, but this can cause problems with hotels if they book less than two years in advance. We can then set up bush camps in the Out of Africa style, which are very popular. For this very large incentive group, our programmes often revolve around Swakopmund - its dunes, the sea and the activities it offers: quad biking, sand tobogganing, sand yachting, fishing, boat trips with sea lions - and the Namib Desert. For smaller groups, we can offer more comprehensive itineraries. Depending on the size of the group, transfers are made by private Cessna or DC6 aircraft or by private 4×4 vehicles driven by the participants.

Don't you have anything about Himbas culture?

I. A. - We have a moral problem with large groups, so we avoid them. Imagine a large group arriving in a village cut off from the rest of the world, among these magnificent, pure people who live half-naked... and taking photographs... It's totally indelicate. We prefer to limit these visits to smaller groups, which we take to villages that are already open and have decided to collaborate with tourism in order to benefit from the financial spin-offs. We think it's more respectful to go to villages that have themselves decided to open up to tourism.