Promoting Destination Namibia

The Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) says it continues to explore avenues of marketing Namibia and creating a platform for the tourism trade to network and exchange business with other international tourism operators. During this month, the NTB first exhibited at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, then shifted its target to the region’s premier event, the Tourism Indaba that took place in Durban, South Africa.
In Dubai, the stand was overwhelmed with a number of queries, from outbound tour operators, travel agents, hunting enthusiasts and media houses that all want to include Namibia in their brochures. The Namibia Tourism Board staff at the stand handled many enquiries from individuals who wish to plan their holidays to Namibia on their own, with the highest interest being exclusive safaris and hunting.  The NTB sees this as a wake-up call to the industry to start working hard in adjusting the offering to accommodate Arab travellers.
The Namibian team was led by Ms Benita Herma, NTB Board Member and Mr Klemens /Awarab, NTB Head of Marketing.
“I am excited about the interest in Namibia at the Arabian Travel Market, while I was under the impression that we have to work hard to even get them pronounce the word ‘Namibia’.  Come 2014 , I am encouraging more Namibian operators to join the Namibia Tourism Board to market Namibia fully and at its best to the Middle East” said Herma.
In Durban, Namibia exhibited in the ever-growing SADC Hall along side other southern African countries like, Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Among the southern African exhibitors, the Zambian and Zimbabwe stands showed significant expansion due to their joint hosting of the upcoming UNWTO in August.  As usual, the SADC hall proved to be the busiest, buzzing with international visitors flocking to meet and engage the representatives of the Namibian tourism industry. The biggest interest from foreign operators is to identify key partners in every southern African country to be able to offer combined package deals to travellers from the respective feeder countries.
A key activity at the Namibian stand was to maximize awareness on the hosting of the Adventure World Travel Summit from 26 to 31 October 2013. With its excellent infrastructure, efficient telecommunications, rich cultural heritage and an award-winning community-based natural resource management programme that combines the areas of tourism, conservation and community development, Namibia proved to be the destination of choice.
30 Namibian tourism operators exhibited under the umbrella of Namibia Tourism Board. A total of 26,000 square meters of carpets were laid for the 1386 exhibitors at the show this year, as Indaba again proved to be the biggest and most relevant tourism trade show on the African continent. Of the 14,970 square meters of available space available throughout the venue, a total of 14,712 square meters (98%) was sold and occupied at Indaba 2013.