Garden Route National Park welcomes swarms for Parks Week

The Garden Route National Park celebrated a great increase in visitors for 2023’s free National Parks Week. Here’s more details…

Garden Route National Park a popular spot

The annual National Parks Week recently took place this past month from 16 to 25 September and according a recent update from the South African National Parks (SANParks), the free week was a hit with South Africans.

With approximately 94 203 day trippers visiting during the weeks, the campaign gave South Africans the unique opportunity to visit the country’s many beautiful national parks for free.

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The Garden Route National Park, in particular, saw a great increase in the number of visitors when compared to last year, signalling its popularity.

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As per SANParks, the free week saw 8 119 free day visitors participate in the campaign compared to last year’s 5 068 at this park, a 60% increase higher than 2022’s numbers.

The Tsitsikamma Section had a total of 3 502 day visitors, the Knysna Lakes Section saw 2 292, while the Wilderness Section received a total of 2 325 people during the week.

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‘An opportunity for all South Africans’

Garden Route National Park General Manager, Vuyiswa Radebe, said that the event was a celebration of our rich natural heritage and an opportunity for all South Africans to discover and enjoy the beauty of our national parks at no cost.

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“The Garden Route National Park would like to thank everyone who took the time to learn more about the parks in their neighbourhood and ensure that the week becomes a success.” Radebe said.

“Despite the challenges posed by nature, including the storm surge during the opening weekend and severe rainfalls toward the end of the week, Garden Route National Park remains committed to ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all visitors. In the interest of safety, some hiking trails had to be closed temporarily during the severe weather conditions,” Radebe added.

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