Namibia aims to become premiere leisure destination

ELLANIE SMIT WINDHOEKNamibia is aiming to position itself as a premier leisure and business destination with an approach of socially inclusive economic and tourism growth.Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said this during the virtual launch of the Namibia travel and tourism week at the Dubai Expo last week.The expo, which has been running from 1 October to 31 March, is being held under the theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.The theme of the Namibian Pavilion is ‘Preserving Natural Treasure for Future Generations’, with the aim of attracting investment and tourists to Namibia.According to Shifeta, the term ‘natural treasure’ was selected to describe the wide range of precious resources Namibia is blessed with - from energy and ecology to biodiversity, people and rich cultures.He said the purpose of expo participation is to connect key decision-makers, tourism operators, investors and the business community to introduce Namibia as an investment hub and a tourist destination of quality and unique travel experiences.He said the launch of the Namibia travel and tourism week is further aimed at creating awareness and assuring the international outbound travel industry that ‘Destination Namibia’ is ready to welcome international travellers to the country.Destination of choice“Tourism is one of Namibia’s most socio-economically important sectors. The country’s unique natural attractions make it a global destination of choice amongst safari, luxury, adventure and photographic travellers.”According to Shifeta, the variety of landscapes and sceneries, healthy and ever-growing wildlife populations, enigmatic and friendly people and general safety and ease of travel have made Namibia one of the top destinations on the African continent.He added that the ministry is aligned with the World Health Organisation’s stance on the importance of engaging in safer protocols rather than stopping travel altogether in order to allow for the full recovery of the travel and tourism economies of many countries in the world.“The country in general and the tourism sector in particular has put in place robust and sufficient Covid-19 public health protocols to safeguard international travellers to the country as well as its citizens. It is, therefore, safe to travel to Namibia.”Ease of accessHe added that Namibia issues visas upon arrival to qualifying international guests, tourists and business travellers in order to make travel to the country easy.The ministry has also prioritised the implementation of the Kavango–Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Tourism Univisa, which will facilitate ease of access for tourists from Zambia and Zimbabwe, and later all partner countries.“We therefore urge tourism companies to secure and form strategic business partnership to optimise on the investment and business opportunities in the KAZA TFCA.”ellanie@namibiansun.com

Namibia aims to become premiere leisure destination

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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Namibia aims to become premiere leisure destination

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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