Govt ponders removing PCR tests for travellers
Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta said the responsible ministries are looking into allowing persons who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the country for business and leisure without the requirement of negative PCR test.
He said the final outcome will be announced after a collective decision has been made in a few months, hopefully before the tourism high season starts this year. He made these remarks at the Namibia Travel and Tourism Seminar held at the Dubai World Expo.
He said Namibia has been participating in the expo since it started last year to share what it can offer in terms of tourism and business opportunities with the world.
The minister said Namibia has adopted a stand, in alignment with the World Health Organisation, to enable safer travel protocols rather than to stop travel altogether to allow the full recovery of the travel and tourism economies.
“The country in general and tourism sector in particular has put in place robust and sufficient Covi-19 public health protocols to safeguard the safety of visitors to the country and its citizens. I must reiterate that it is safe to travel to Namibia.”
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He further mentioned that Namibia is served by three international airlines and routes post Covid-19, which are Eurowings Discovery, which facilitates air travel from Europe through the Frankfurt International Airport; Ethiopian Airlines through Addis Ababa, and Emirates through Johannesburg and Cape Town.
“Travellers can also connect through FlyNamibia or South African Airlink from the two airports in South Africa to Windhoek, Namibia. I am reliably informed that Eurowings Discovery will increase its flights to include Victoria Falls around April/May when they have completed their due diligence process,” he said.
Shifeta added that Qatar Airways will resume flights from Doha to Windhoek later this year, around June/July.
He said the final outcome will be announced after a collective decision has been made in a few months, hopefully before the tourism high season starts this year. He made these remarks at the Namibia Travel and Tourism Seminar held at the Dubai World Expo.
He said Namibia has been participating in the expo since it started last year to share what it can offer in terms of tourism and business opportunities with the world.
The minister said Namibia has adopted a stand, in alignment with the World Health Organisation, to enable safer travel protocols rather than to stop travel altogether to allow the full recovery of the travel and tourism economies.
“The country in general and tourism sector in particular has put in place robust and sufficient Covi-19 public health protocols to safeguard the safety of visitors to the country and its citizens. I must reiterate that it is safe to travel to Namibia.”
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He further mentioned that Namibia is served by three international airlines and routes post Covid-19, which are Eurowings Discovery, which facilitates air travel from Europe through the Frankfurt International Airport; Ethiopian Airlines through Addis Ababa, and Emirates through Johannesburg and Cape Town.
“Travellers can also connect through FlyNamibia or South African Airlink from the two airports in South Africa to Windhoek, Namibia. I am reliably informed that Eurowings Discovery will increase its flights to include Victoria Falls around April/May when they have completed their due diligence process,” he said.
Shifeta added that Qatar Airways will resume flights from Doha to Windhoek later this year, around June/July.
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