The South African National Parks has announced an early increase in its rates which come into effect from 1 September 2009. SANParks says the annual rates increase will be implemented earlier than the usual increase date of 1 November due to the rapidly increasing inflation rate.

"SANParks sets its rates a year in advance, as per the industry norm. However, due to rapid inflationary increases we were compelled to make an earlier adjustment.

“We have considered many options, including an additional increase as from 01 November 2008. However, due to the fact that so many of the guests had already booked and in some cases paid for their holidays to national parks, it was decided not to implement this option, but rather to increase the fees for new bookings from 1 September 2009 (which opened from 1 October 2008). Conservation fees and activity rates will also increase from 1 September 2009.”

“With CPIX at 13,6 percent in August 2008 and average accommodation and camping rates increasing by an average of only seven percent on 01 November 2008, we need to hike rates earlier than normal in 2009 and the accommodation and camping rates will increase by an average of 14,6 percent as from 1 September 2009” said Mr Glenn Phillips, Managing Executive: Tourism and Marketing at SANParks. “This will enable us to deal with the reduced spending power and resultant increase in costs of the average basket of good and services in South Africa.”

“We would like to announce though that our customers will experience some relief in that additional person rates in guest houses have now been restructured so that children will be charged at half the adult rate as from 01 November 2008.

Children in guest houses were charged full additional person rates in the past and with this change, we trust that it will be easier for family groups to visit national parks” added Phillips.