HONOURED: Michelle McClean in Times Square. Photo: Contributed
HONOURED: Michelle McClean in Times Square. Photo: Contributed

McLean honoured in Times Square for tourism role

Adam Hartman
Namibia’s former Miss Universe, Michelle McLean, has been named Top Global Business Woman of the Year in Tourism and Investment by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), with her image displayed last week on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, New York.

In response, McLean said: “The billboard reveal happened this past week, our images stay up for a few minutes, over a day. Each of us gets a few minutes.... We usually do it just after the Nasdaq bell is rung each day at 9 AM in Times Square,” she said. “It really is ‘Living the American Dream’, even if it’s just a few minutes of fame in NYC.”

The recognition follows her 2023 IAOTP Lifetime Achievement Award for philanthropic work through the Michelle McLean Children Trust.



Global stage

McLean now serves as international business officer, North America, for Gondwana Collection Namibia, representing the country in tourism, trade and investment promotion.

“I’m excited to utilise this opportunity as a marketing tool for tourism,” McLean said. “It really provides a global international platform for me to showcase and promote Namibia as a destination and, as the international business officer in North America for Gondwana Collection, to further the good work that we’re doing in ecotourism, conservation and community outreach programmes.”

McLean says tourism should be promoted as the face of Namibia.

“It is the hugest marketing tool that we can use in terms of the greatest impact we can have in promoting Namibia and the fact that it is a safe country, probably one of the safest countries in the world. With our new woman president, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, we are definitely destined for a very successful and sustainable environment in which international foreign trade can come to Namibia and investment can improve and increase,” she said.

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-03

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