Wildlife Resorts readies its establishments for the initial trickle of international tourists
The tentative re-opening of Hosea Kutako International Airport for international arrivals this week gave some glimmer of hope to an economic sector that has been thrashed because of the lockdown. This also prompted the government’s resorts manager, Namibia Wildlife Resorts, to preen its ruffled feathers in preparation for a gradual resumption of international tourism.
Wildlife Resorts Managing Director, Dr Matthias Ngwangwama commented “it is no secret that the domestic market alone is not sufficient to sustain the tourism sector. Thus, the official opening of Hosea Kutako International Airport on 1 September 2020 as part of the Tourism Revival Initiative announced by the government is a much-needed encouragement to the sector and to Namibia Wildlife Resorts in particular.”
“We are aware that the opening of the HKIA is one of the steps towards the revival of the industry. We are hopeful that through its opening, a more positive sentiment will begin to filter into the industry as international travellers start arriving,” he continued.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts adjusted its business operations to withstand the challenges brought about by the lockdown. It embarked on various actions such as signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Namibia Public Workers Union resulting in cost-cutting measures for the better good of the organisation. Equally, It also adopted a new pricing model targetting the domestic market which helped to sustain some operations during the lockdown.
“We are therefore very mindful of the role that we fulfil in the Namibian business arena and social ecosystem. Thus as we look to the future, we understand that there is a long way to go before the sector experiences some of the occupancies it had pre-Covid-19” said Dr Ngwangwama.
