NAMIBIA Wildlife Resorts (NWR) yesterday officially launched its 24-hour live webcam viewing Okaukuejo waterhole in the Etosha national park.
NWR managing director Matthias Ngwangwama said, “the pandemic is ongoing and we stand in solidarity with those who are not able to travel because of reasons such as lockdown travel restrictions, and travel inconveniences of some sort”.
Ngwangwama said NWR was going to do anything possible to contribute to the quick recovery and resuscitation of the Namibian tourism industry.
“It is for this reason that we would like to launch this new service or technology, the live webcam, also known as virtual tourism, at Okaukuejo resort in Etosha National Park,” he said.
NWR spokesperson Nelson Ashipala said the camera is found at one of the busiest waterholes in the park and aims at allowing Namibians and the world at large to experience nature and wildlife within the comfort of their homes by viewing and experiencing first-hand, animals within their natural habitat.
He added that the new initiative of virtual tourism presents viewers with an immersive experience of an activity, location, or destination through the use of video technology to provide an experience of a destination that a user cannot get through images or a website alone.
Ashipala further emphasized that viewers can access virtual tourism content using a virtual reality headset for the most immersive experience, but they can also usually view the content on a normal computer or even a mobile device through the NWR social media page on YouTube, at no extra cost.
Ngwangwama said, “The benefits of this innovation is that viewers can see and experience a destination without travelling to it, which means they aren’t limited by available flights, travel logistics, safety concerns, and whether destinations are open.”
The other huge benefit for viewers is costs.
Virtual tourism makes destinations accessible to millions of people who may otherwise not be able to afford to travel to them.
NWR said it will cover other waterholes within the park soon.
Email: shante@namibian.com.na
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