By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Namibia is well on its way to finally tapping into increasing numbers of tourists and visitors from Finland and other affluent Scandinavian markets. This comes in the wake of international tourists gradually viewing Namibia as a “favourite tourism hot spot abroad”. The anticipated boom is largely a result of the participation of eight Namibian tourism entrepreneurs at the Matka 2007 Tourism Fair held in Finland’s capital Helsinki last month. It was during this world-renowned event abroad when local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) showcased their products at that country’s tourism fair that was held from the 15th to 23rd of January 2007. The latest trip was made possible through sponsorship from the Finnish Embassy in partnership with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB). The Matka fair is said to be one of the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries and the Baltic Sea area, which creates an ideal platform for participants to bond with others from Finnish and Baltic countries and Russia. This year, the show had exhibitors from 69 countries and nearly 86 000 visitors of whom nearly 17 000 were travel professionals from Finland and further abroad. Expressing their satisfaction with their recent trip to that country, the group of previously disadvantaged local tourism entrepreneurs said at a press conference last Friday that Namibia stands a good chance of luring more tourists from Finland as it is viewed as a favourable tourism destination. “It was a wonderful experience and I got to know more about Finland and the people. The Finns were very much interested in visiting Namibia especially in the field of nature and cultural tourism,” said local entrepreneur Nathan Africa of Libra Tours. It turns out that unlike in other European countries like Germany, or the United Kingdom, Namibia is still an unexplored tourist destination for the Finns and with its wide open spaces and natural environment the country can benefit from the huge interest from people in Finland. Another local businessman Lesley Gariseb of Aabadi Bush Camp and Safaris said that the experience during the 9-day tourism fair in Helsinki was invaluable for him. “This was an very important exercise that needs to be repeated again, especially for the exposure to the outside market which Namibia can tap into. There are new Scandinavian markets that can push up our numbers,” said Gariseb, adding that travel fairs like these play a critical role in networking and building contacts. The other six SME business people were Fried Frederick of Walvis Bay Tour Guides, Lukas Damaseb of Hello Namibia Safaris, Rebecca Hidulika of Wanderzone Tours, Raymond Inichab of Hata Angu Cultural Tours, Christy Beukes of Lake Oanob Resort and Peter-Hain Kazapua of Easy Travelling Ways. Speaking at a media briefing on the outcome of the trip Friday, Programme Officer of the Embassy of Finland Elise Heikkinen said the embassy realised the huge potential that the tourism sector can play in the country’s drive to reduce poverty and unemployment. “It is in line with this that the Embassy of Finland finds it important to support Namibian efforts to strengthen and establish the tourism sector as one of the leading economic sectors,” said Heikkinen. As part of its social responsibility the embassy also funded the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the NTB’s Tourism Satellite Account Survey entitled: “The Impact of Travel and Tourism on Jobs and the Economy.” The study found that travel and tourism makes up 16 percent of the total gross domestic product, while 17 percent of employment is found in this sector Consequently, Finnish tourism to Namibia opens new avenues for the country’s growth in this sector, as it is believed that Namibia has got something special to offer in the world of tourism. So sentiments have been that in order to make Namibia more known as a desirable destination and networking market, new initiatives are needed “Tourists from Finland and Scandinavia are interested in nature and wildlife, new experiences, culture, warmth and sun. Nordic tourists are searching for new travel destinations and especially destinations in far-off countries, such as Namibia,” added Heikkinen. Echoing the same opinion, NTB’s Head of Marketing Shareen Thude concluded that the latest trip to Finland’s tourism fair was therefore a step in the right direction.