Namibia hopes to have a diversified and competitive tourism sector which attracts 1,8 million tourists by 2022, according to the recently released fifth National Development Plan (NDP5).
According to the NDP5 document, Namibia remains heavily dependent on its top ten tourist destinations, hence the need exists to expand the number of tourist markets serving the country to ensure the sustainability of the sector.
Although Namibia has good infrastructure in most parts of the country, a lack of infrastructure in some tourist areas continues to hamper the growth of the sector, states the document.
Namibia is a remarkable and competitive destination because of its comparative advantages, which include the wide open spaces with spectacular landscapes, abundant wildlife resources, a diversity of experiences, excellent infrastructure, security, peace and stability, and a low population density, it states.
Namibia has a growing global reputation as a premier destination for ecotourism. The tourism industry is an important contributor to the generation of foreign exchange earnings, investments, revenue, employment, rural development, poverty reduction and to the growth of the country's economy.
Tourism also creates strong direct and peripheral benefits because of its multiplier effect, based on its reliance on a wide spread of supplies and services, states the document.
While most sectors have experienced a decline in employment in 2016, the hospitality accommodation and food services sector experienced a growth in employment between 2014 and 2016, according to the latest Namibia Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2016 of the Namibia Statistics Agency.
The NLFS found that the number of people employed in the sector rose from 29 265 in 2014 to 47 840 in 2016, an increase of 18 575 jobs over the two-year period.
The NDP5 document further stated that hotels and restaurants increased by an average of 6,6% per annum during the NDP4 period, and contribute about 1,8% to GDP.
Retention and expansion to new markets, promoting local tourism, ensuring conservation as a key policy priority, and promoting communal conservancies and cultural tourism have been highlighted as some of the strategies to be employed to attract more tourists.
The country will also promote ecotourism in order to ensure that the environment and Namibia's uniqueness are protected, according to the document.
Continued investment in infrastructure could help to promote profitability and support the investment climate. In accordance with the National Tourism Investment and Promotion Strategy 2016-2026, it could help to promote PPP to attract foreign investment, as well as invest in roads linking tourist destinations and infrastructure with communal conservancies.
This will increase the number of tourists and foreign earnings, states the document.
Similarly, efforts will also be made to develop new tourism products by promoting Namibia as a meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition' (MICE) destination through the establishment of conferencing facilities, while the strategy also aims at incorporating cultural and creative sectors into tourism.
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Showing posts with label Tourism in Namibia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tourism in Namibia. Show all posts
Friday, 9 June 2017
Monday, 5 June 2017
NAMIBIA: Federation of Namibian Tourism Association (Fenata) Says Domestic Tourism Is Not Happening
The Federation of Namibian Tourism Association (Fenata) chairperson Bernd Schneider is of the view domestic tourism has to some extent been neglected.
There is a growing concern that Namibians generally do not have a culture of taking vacations, as many prefer to go to their villages.
Domestic tourism has for many years been neglected, he said, adding that one of the things Namibia didn’t really do right over a couple of years was to promote a dual price system, whereby lodges offer different prices to locals and than to international visitors.
He said Namibian lodges and hotels were supposed to be affordable to locals, but are currently not affordable to many.
In this regard Schneider called on the local tourism industry to establish and develop infrastructure that fits into that cost profile.
Although the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) continues to actively promote various domestic campaigns aimed at creating awareness, which has led to an increase in domestic travel, he called for more concerted effort to ensure locals enjoy the great beauty Namibia has to offer.
He also applauded the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) that offer the NamLeisure card (family membership), in addition to standing discounts for locals, which stand at 25 percent and 35 percent for pensioners.
He said many Namibians have been travelling to national parks and campsites since NWR introduced the 75 percent discount for the past three years.
They travel to campsites where they take their braai along.
They don’t need the fancy, luxury and upmarket lodges that often cater for international needs.
According to Schneider, many Namibians have turned to what is called camp elephants, which cost them very little.
These are self-catering bungalows where people go with their own food and drinks over weekends to enjoy themselves.
NWR during February ran a promotion aimed at encouraging domestic travelers to sign up for a Namleisure card at 50 percent of the cost.
The aim was to encourage domestic travelers to acquire a Namleisure card, which entitles them to 50 percent discount whenever they visit any NWR facility including Sun Karros Daan Viljoen.
The Namleisure card comes in three variations to cater to different travelers. There is the Single’s card, which is aimed at individuals, while Namleisure Plus is aimed at couples and seems to be the most popular option.
Wheras the Namleisure Family card is aimed at two adults and two children between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. At present NWR has over 4,000 Namleisure members.
According to the National Sustainable Tourism Growth and Development Strategy 2016-2026, there is no culture of taking vacations among Namibians to the extent that many do not take leisure holidays at all.
In their vacation time they go ‘up north’ to their villages. There is a need to raise awareness of the preferences of international visitors, since the culture does not exist locally, the report shows.
There is a growing concern that Namibians generally do not have a culture of taking vacations, as many prefer to go to their villages.
Domestic tourism has for many years been neglected, he said, adding that one of the things Namibia didn’t really do right over a couple of years was to promote a dual price system, whereby lodges offer different prices to locals and than to international visitors.
He said Namibian lodges and hotels were supposed to be affordable to locals, but are currently not affordable to many.
In this regard Schneider called on the local tourism industry to establish and develop infrastructure that fits into that cost profile.
Although the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) continues to actively promote various domestic campaigns aimed at creating awareness, which has led to an increase in domestic travel, he called for more concerted effort to ensure locals enjoy the great beauty Namibia has to offer.
He also applauded the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) that offer the NamLeisure card (family membership), in addition to standing discounts for locals, which stand at 25 percent and 35 percent for pensioners.
He said many Namibians have been travelling to national parks and campsites since NWR introduced the 75 percent discount for the past three years.
They travel to campsites where they take their braai along.
They don’t need the fancy, luxury and upmarket lodges that often cater for international needs.
According to Schneider, many Namibians have turned to what is called camp elephants, which cost them very little.
These are self-catering bungalows where people go with their own food and drinks over weekends to enjoy themselves.
NWR during February ran a promotion aimed at encouraging domestic travelers to sign up for a Namleisure card at 50 percent of the cost.
The aim was to encourage domestic travelers to acquire a Namleisure card, which entitles them to 50 percent discount whenever they visit any NWR facility including Sun Karros Daan Viljoen.
The Namleisure card comes in three variations to cater to different travelers. There is the Single’s card, which is aimed at individuals, while Namleisure Plus is aimed at couples and seems to be the most popular option.
Wheras the Namleisure Family card is aimed at two adults and two children between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. At present NWR has over 4,000 Namleisure members.
According to the National Sustainable Tourism Growth and Development Strategy 2016-2026, there is no culture of taking vacations among Namibians to the extent that many do not take leisure holidays at all.
In their vacation time they go ‘up north’ to their villages. There is a need to raise awareness of the preferences of international visitors, since the culture does not exist locally, the report shows.
NAMIBIA: AHA Hotels & Lodges To Manage Swakopmund Hotels, Mantis Collection To Restore 3 Hotels
Effective July 1, aha Hotels & Lodges will take over the full management and marketing services for The Swakopmund Collection.
This hotel collection is a privately owned hotel group that of Atlantic Villa, Beach Hotel Swakopmund and Swakopmund Plaza Hotel.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome The Swakopmund Collection to the aha family,” said CEO of aha Hotels & Lodges, Neil Bald. “This is the eighth African country we’re expanding into and aha’s debut into Namibia, which is another positive step towards expanding our footprint in key locations within Sub Saharan Africa.”
“We are proud to be associated with aha Hotels & Lodges, their expertise in hotel management and marketing is well known and we look forward to their contribution to the properties further success,” said Peter and Julie Weichhart and Johan Kok, co - owners of Swakopmund Plaza Hotel and Beach Hotel Swakopmund.
aha hotels and lodges manages a collection of hotels and lodges throughout Southern Africa, including Gauteng, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and in Southern Africa; Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Mantis Collection is restoring three old Georgian buildings on St Helena in the South Atlantic. The group expects to complete restoration in September, confirmed Graham Vass, Development Director for Mantis St Helena.
Once complete, these will form the Mantis St Helena, a luxury hotel comprising 30 en-suite bedrooms and dining and bar facilities. “We’re so proud to be associated with this new and exciting venture,” said Adrian Gardiner, Founder and Chairman of Mantis.
Prior to the airport being built, a Royal Mail ship was the only way visitors and St Helenians could travel between the UK, Ascension Island, St Helena, Namibia and South Africa. Once regular commercial flights are instituted, the ship will be decommissioned.
More tourists are expected to flock to the island when the winner of the tender for commercial flights is announced in May and flights are expected to commence before the end of 2017.
This hotel collection is a privately owned hotel group that of Atlantic Villa, Beach Hotel Swakopmund and Swakopmund Plaza Hotel.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome The Swakopmund Collection to the aha family,” said CEO of aha Hotels & Lodges, Neil Bald. “This is the eighth African country we’re expanding into and aha’s debut into Namibia, which is another positive step towards expanding our footprint in key locations within Sub Saharan Africa.”
“We are proud to be associated with aha Hotels & Lodges, their expertise in hotel management and marketing is well known and we look forward to their contribution to the properties further success,” said Peter and Julie Weichhart and Johan Kok, co - owners of Swakopmund Plaza Hotel and Beach Hotel Swakopmund.
aha hotels and lodges manages a collection of hotels and lodges throughout Southern Africa, including Gauteng, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and in Southern Africa; Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Mantis Collection is restoring three old Georgian buildings on St Helena in the South Atlantic. The group expects to complete restoration in September, confirmed Graham Vass, Development Director for Mantis St Helena.
Once complete, these will form the Mantis St Helena, a luxury hotel comprising 30 en-suite bedrooms and dining and bar facilities. “We’re so proud to be associated with this new and exciting venture,” said Adrian Gardiner, Founder and Chairman of Mantis.
Prior to the airport being built, a Royal Mail ship was the only way visitors and St Helenians could travel between the UK, Ascension Island, St Helena, Namibia and South Africa. Once regular commercial flights are instituted, the ship will be decommissioned.
More tourists are expected to flock to the island when the winner of the tender for commercial flights is announced in May and flights are expected to commence before the end of 2017.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)