Vasco's Dedication At Wilderness Pays Off
Staff Writer | Tuesday October 8, 2019 13:02
Neuman Vasco is the new Wilderness Safaris Botswana Mombo operations manager, bringing with him a decade of outstanding conservation, sustainability and camp management experience.
A high-energy self-starter, Vasco’s dedication and ambition have seen him rise from a trainee management position to successfully running a number of Wilderness Safaris camps.
Vasco’s interest in tourism goes back to his childhood growing up in a village close to the Okavango Delta, where his innate passion for the wilderness and wildlife was born.
Whether it was on the family farm, driving through the most remote areas of Botswana in a truck or enjoying quality time with friends and family, the wilderness has always been home to him allowing him to appreciate the need for its conservation from an early age.
At the age of 12 he already knew he would become a safari camp manager. After high school he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, with a double major in Geographical and Environmental Sciences, and Tourism.
His career took off at Wilderness Safaris’ Jao Camp where he was appointed trainee manager, five years later he attained his goal of becoming the camp’s general manager.
Since then, he has managed eight Wilderness Safaris Botswana camps and has also been involved in camp decommissioning, rebuilds and openings.
Over the years, he has expanded his knowledge on back-of-house and front-of-house camp operations in order to understand their importance and reliance on each other. Also a qualified guide, he acts as a host guide for agents, and assists the guiding team when necessary.
“In all my years at Wilderness Safaris, I had never seen rhino roaming freely in the wilds of Botswana until 2018. Without the company’s determination to conserve and restore Africa’s wilderness and wildlife, this sighting would have remained a dream for me.
This is my foremost reason to believe. I have seen a vision realised for Botswana’s wildlife, and I am honoured to manage the area where it all began,” he said.
In his new role managing undoubtedly one of Africa’s best wildlife and ecotourism destinations, he will oversee the efficient operation and management of the camps so they continue to uphold Wilderness Safaris’ 4Cs sustainability ethos of Commerce, Community, Culture and Conservation.
He will be at the forefront of Mombo’s safari activities and sustainability initiatives, ensuring that the guest experience is maximised.
Vasco is also the Kalahari Plains concession manager, as well as relief manager for other Botswana concessions, including Abu, Kwedi and the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. In addition, his keen interest in photography led him to being appointed Wilderness Safaris Botswana representative for the company’s visionary Olympus partnership.
“Our flagship camp has always been a tremendously popular safari destination in Africa, and I plan to keep it this way, through our ongoing conservation of the area’s rich biodiversity,” he said.