NTB and HAN to host conference

The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) have joined forces to host the first “Namibia Academy Meets HAN Tourism Trade Forum” in Swakopmund from 21 to 30 November 2015. Now in its fifth year, for the first time in its history the 2015 event will be in partnership with the HAN Tourism Trade Forum (HTTF).

More than 65 international product managers and decision-makers of leading international tour operators will travel to Namibia for the informational and educational event. In its pursuit to set itself apart from other industry events, the Namibia Academy combines product workshops with educational trips to explore product developments. For this year the event will cover Namibia’s new self-drive routes “Four Rivers”, “Omulunga Palm” and “Arid Eden” as well as the popular “Cape to Namibia” route.
HAN said the main objective of the Namibia Academy is to showcase product developments in strategically chosen regions, as well as to provide a professional platform for interactive discussions and negotiations. “By allowing for individual exchange with the Namibian service providers and offering first-hand product experiences, product knowledge will be increased. It is therefore instrumental to promote Namibia as a travel destination in all its facets to key tour operators from Namibia’s most important source markets.”
Digu //Naobeb, CEO of the Namibia Tourism Board said, “The Namibia Academy contributes to NTB’s overall objective of achieving seasonal and regional spread and to grow sales to Namibia to benefit the entire tourism sector. With the support of Air Namibia, Condor and the Namibian private sector, NTB aims to host 3 participants from the UAE, 7 from China, 7 from the USA, 14 from South Africa and the rest of the SADC region and 35 from Europe.”
He added, “I am delighted to announce that NTB and HAN will join hands to offer the Namibian travel industry and our international partners a new and enlarged networking and business platform by merging NTB’s “The World meets Namibia” networking event and HAN’s HTTF under the united banner of the Namibia Academy Meets HTTF.”
HAN Congress Chairperson Janet Wilson-Moore is excited about the prospects of welcoming and co-hosting international, regional and local tourism agents and operators to the Namibia Academy Meets HTTF event. “With the tough trading conditions the industry has been experiencing over the past few years, this joint venture presents the perfect opportunity to showcase what we have to offer. Networking with the agents that NTB has invited from all over the world will allow us to share positive information and come up with new creative measures in Namibia’s tourism offerings”, she said.
HTTF was initiated in 1999 with the aim to offer all Namibian service providers, regardless of their size and outreach, a professional platform to present their company to Namibian tour operators, share information, build contacts and conclude business deals. The HTTF is part of the HAN Congress, the most important annual event for the Namibian tourism industry.
Under the motto “Riding the T.I.D.E.S. of Change”, the 2015 edition will focus on technological, institutional, demographic, environmental and social changes and their implications for the international tourism industry and address challenges resulting from health to economic issues and social unrest to changing customer demands.
The HAN congress takes place on 27 November 2015 in Swakopmund.