Namibia in running for top tourism award

NAMIBIA has been shortlisted for the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) awards in the community benefits category together with India and New Zealand.

Namibia’s communal conservancy tourism sector has been nominated as a finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow Award programme backed by the WTTC.
These awards are the most prominent and prestigious international tourism awards, at times dubbed the Oscars of the tourism industry, which are given out by the largest travel and tourism industry association in the world.
Over 160 entries were received from 45 countries and the other African countries who are finalists in other categories are Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa.

The award recognises best practices in sustainable tourism in four different categories: Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit and Global Tourism business. The winner will be announced in Beijing, China, during the WTTC convention from May 24 to 26.

Namibia currently has 59 registered conservancies, with another 30 being considered for registration. Conservancies are found in almost all the regions and cover 16,8 per cent of the land area.

Within the Communal Conservancy Tourism Sector, there are 29 formal joint-venture lodges and campsites, mostly owned by the private sector, that work in collaboration with their host communities.

These joint ventures provide 789 full-time jobs and over 250 seasonal jobs. More than N$145 million has been invested in tourism joint ventures in communal conservancies by the private sector and Government since 1998.
Tourism ventures contribute to the livelihoods in the regions and the communities they operate in, in multiple ways, including direct and indirect contractual cash payments to conservancies, salaries of employees, staff training and relating benefits such as payments of cash and in-kind contributions to village development committees, schools and clinics.

Job creation and income generation are just part of the benefits of conservancies. With a vested interest in their land, conservancy members have eliminated poaching and set aside land for exclusive wildlife and resulting in expanding populations of all wildlife, including elephant, lion and black rhino.
“It was not by sheer luck that we made it to the top three,” says Minister of Environment and Tourism Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

“This is a true reward of our dedication and commitment to both conservation and empowerment. Making it to the top three should be perceived in a high light by the whole country.”

Credit: www.namibian.com.na