Where Is Our Tourism Going?

FOR several years now, tourism has been heralded as the fastest growing industry in Namibia, and its contribution to the GDP is said to be third, even pushing for second place.

It employs directly several thousands and contributes to thousands more jobs in the related industries, such as restaurants, taxis and car hire etc. What has been the jewel in the crown of Namibia tourism? Etosha.Etosha and the other NWR resorts were in desperate need of renovations.Please note: renovation, not upgrading! All the renovations that N$120 million can bring will be wasted if the attitude to maintenance and service to guests is not improved.When the Miss Universe contest was held in Namibia, Okaukuejo was given a facelift thanks to the EU (as I recall) totalling several million.In the early years of NWR much was attempted on a very low budget to renovate the resorts, but maintenance did not improve and everything went backwards and the standard of the resorts went down and down.The resorts have been given to NWR to care for and run on behalf of the Namibian Government and the Namibian nation as a whole.The resorts, or camps, as old-timers still insist on calling them, were built with Namibian taxpayers’ money, initially for the benefit of Namibians.Now they are being priced totally out of the range of the average and above-average Namibian.Not only are they becoming unavailable to Namibians, but also many of our overseas visitors.The effect will now be either that they stay at lodges or guest farms near the parks, or they will just not come at all and go to better-priced, more service-oriented African countries, or perhaps miss Africa completely.NWR is very nicely not only ‘shooting itself in the foot’ but the entire tourism industry of Namibia, and with it the further growth in our economy.Where is the official outcry from the tour operators? Where is the outcry from Fenata? The hospitality industry, especially those near the parks, must be smiling from ear to ear.But will they for long if the number of visitors drops? Please Namibians, wake up and speak out against this appalling action of NWR.M L Recke WindhoekWhat has been the jewel in the crown of Namibia tourism? Etosha.Etosha and the other NWR resorts were in desperate need of renovations.Please note: renovation, not upgrading! All the renovations that N$120 million can bring will be wasted if the attitude to maintenance and service to guests is not improved.When the Miss Universe contest was held in Namibia, Okaukuejo was given a facelift thanks to the EU (as I recall) totalling several million.In the early years of NWR much was attempted on a very low budget to renovate the resorts, but maintenance did not improve and everything went backwards and the standard of the resorts went down and down.The resorts have been given to NWR to care for and run on behalf of the Namibian Government and the Namibian nation as a whole.The resorts, or camps, as old-timers still insist on calling them, were built with Namibian taxpayers’ money, initially for the benefit of Namibians.Now they are being priced totally out of the range of the average and above-average Namibian.Not only are they becoming unavailable to Namibians, but also many of our overseas visitors.The effect will now be either that they stay at lodges or guest farms near the parks, or they will just not come at all and go to better-priced, more service-oriented African countries, or perhaps miss Africa completely.NWR is very nicely not only ‘shooting itself in the foot’ but the entire tourism industry of Namibia, and with it the further growth in our economy.Where is the official outcry from the tour operators? Where is the outcry from Fenata? The hospitality industry, especially those near the parks, must be smiling from ear to ear.But will they for long if the number of visitors drops? Please Namibians, wake up and speak out against this appalling action of NWR.M L Recke Windhoek