Be festive but obey the law
The environment minister urges holidaymakers to think of the environment and foreign visitors' impressions of the country during the holiday season.
Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta has condemned any act of violence against visitors to Namibia and urged tour operators to recommit themselves to ensuring the safety of tourists at all times.
Shifeta said the safety of all travellers is highlighted as a priority in the National Sustainable Tourism Growth and Development Strategy (NSTGDS), which is aimed at transforming the country into a preferred tourist destination.
“There is no doubt that the challenges around safety and security have negatively affected Namibia as a tourist destination,” he said.
The ministry has therefore joined hands with the private sector and other stakeholders to establish collaborative efforts to fight crime against tourists. According to him customer service delivery and skills gaps have also been identified as challenges for the tourism sector, which remains dependent on people to provide services. He called upon all operators in the tourism industry to ensure that they render impressive customer service to all visitors during the festive season and beyond.
Shifeta said tourism was one of the important economic sectors contributing enormously to the country's Gross Domestic Product as well as creating employment opportunities for locals and ultimately contributing to poverty reduction.
“In our efforts to give tourists the best Namibian experience, we also appeal to the tourists and travellers visiting our beautiful national parks to always observe the stipulated park rules and regulations,” he added.
For their own safety, park visitors are not allowed to jump out of cars, lean out of car windows or get too close to wild animals.
Other regulations prohibit taking plastic bags into parks, littering and flying drones. The minister warned all visitors that plastic bags are prohibited by law in national parks and any such transgression constitutes a criminal offence. Shifeta further urged holidaymakers to respect the environment during the festive season. He said parties and public events generate huge amounts of waste, which is usually disposed of irresponsibly. “We specifically want to discourage the trend of throwing garbage out of cars, polluting the roadside, and further encourage the use of refuse bins to dispose of garbage when and wherever people are travelling or having fun activities during the festive season and beyond.”
Shifeta reminded the public that litter and irresponsible waste disposal can contaminate the soil, air and water with toxins, chemicals and disease-causing bacterial agents.
He said littering is one of the most visible and persistent environmental issues facing Namibia and costs the country a substantial amount of resources every year to clean up and repair the damage to the environment.
“The ministry further calls upon members of the public not to relent this festive season, but to rather remain vigilant and report wildlife crimes such as poaching and illegal possession of wildlife products.”
Shifeta said considering that this is a holiday season, poachers may view it as the right time to commit crimes, but the public should be reassured that measures have been put in place to ensure that national parks and other conservation areas are sufficiently guarded with intensified anti-poaching patrols throughout the festive season. “Both ground patrols and aerial patrols are being carried throughout the festive season.”
He added that poaching and littering have a negative impact on Namibia's natural environment, which is a key driver of the tourism industry and a livelihood for many communities.
“In this regard it is crucial that our environment is protected from littering, pollution, poaching and other wildlife crimes to ensure that the economic benefits derived from tourism are sustained to benefit our people.”
ELLANIE SMIT
Shifeta said the safety of all travellers is highlighted as a priority in the National Sustainable Tourism Growth and Development Strategy (NSTGDS), which is aimed at transforming the country into a preferred tourist destination.
“There is no doubt that the challenges around safety and security have negatively affected Namibia as a tourist destination,” he said.
The ministry has therefore joined hands with the private sector and other stakeholders to establish collaborative efforts to fight crime against tourists. According to him customer service delivery and skills gaps have also been identified as challenges for the tourism sector, which remains dependent on people to provide services. He called upon all operators in the tourism industry to ensure that they render impressive customer service to all visitors during the festive season and beyond.
Shifeta said tourism was one of the important economic sectors contributing enormously to the country's Gross Domestic Product as well as creating employment opportunities for locals and ultimately contributing to poverty reduction.
“In our efforts to give tourists the best Namibian experience, we also appeal to the tourists and travellers visiting our beautiful national parks to always observe the stipulated park rules and regulations,” he added.
For their own safety, park visitors are not allowed to jump out of cars, lean out of car windows or get too close to wild animals.
Other regulations prohibit taking plastic bags into parks, littering and flying drones. The minister warned all visitors that plastic bags are prohibited by law in national parks and any such transgression constitutes a criminal offence. Shifeta further urged holidaymakers to respect the environment during the festive season. He said parties and public events generate huge amounts of waste, which is usually disposed of irresponsibly. “We specifically want to discourage the trend of throwing garbage out of cars, polluting the roadside, and further encourage the use of refuse bins to dispose of garbage when and wherever people are travelling or having fun activities during the festive season and beyond.”
Shifeta reminded the public that litter and irresponsible waste disposal can contaminate the soil, air and water with toxins, chemicals and disease-causing bacterial agents.
He said littering is one of the most visible and persistent environmental issues facing Namibia and costs the country a substantial amount of resources every year to clean up and repair the damage to the environment.
“The ministry further calls upon members of the public not to relent this festive season, but to rather remain vigilant and report wildlife crimes such as poaching and illegal possession of wildlife products.”
Shifeta said considering that this is a holiday season, poachers may view it as the right time to commit crimes, but the public should be reassured that measures have been put in place to ensure that national parks and other conservation areas are sufficiently guarded with intensified anti-poaching patrols throughout the festive season. “Both ground patrols and aerial patrols are being carried throughout the festive season.”
He added that poaching and littering have a negative impact on Namibia's natural environment, which is a key driver of the tourism industry and a livelihood for many communities.
“In this regard it is crucial that our environment is protected from littering, pollution, poaching and other wildlife crimes to ensure that the economic benefits derived from tourism are sustained to benefit our people.”
ELLANIE SMIT
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