Albertina Nakale
Tourism remains one of the hardest-hit sectors by Covid-19 taking the longest to recover as myriad local and international restrictions continue to stifle movement.
Many businesses were forced to close on a temporary basis, often escalating into permanent closures.
According to statistics released by the ministry of labour, close to 5 000 jobs were lost in the travel, tourism, hospitality, and catering sector so far.
“This could be just a tip of an iceberg. These numbers could be more when one includes indirect industries that are supported or benefit from the travel and tourism value chain. The outbreak of Covid-19 disrupted the tourism economy and other sectors’ economic activities in the country. The pandemic has created unexpected changes in our daily lives within a space of two years. Our social interactions, behavioural dynamics, and digital relationships are all transformed,” reacted ministry of environment deputy minister Heather Sibungo yesterday during a stakeholders consultation meeting on Namibia’s draft tourism recovery plan.
The three-year plan has five strategic interventions, of which one is on policy matters and Covid-19 tourism regulations and measures.
This intervention deals with restoring international traveller confidence among other programmes.
To gain travellers’ confidence, the director of tourism and gaming, Sebulon Chicalu said the industry aims to offer flexible and implement friendly reservation or cancellation protocols due to unforeseen or changing circumstances caused by measures against Covid-19.
He said government will also maintain the entry requirements of seven days valid SARS PCR negative test at the point of the first entry in the country.
It will relax the extra medical insurance to cover potential Covid-19 hospitalisation costs requirement. Further, it aims to support increased vaccination campaign for Covid-19 of the population coverage, and conduct public campaigns for the industry employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The ministry of environment together with that of health will help leverage digital services and apps to foster e-health and support healthcare systems-related health information, especially in remote areas.
Other interventions include the use of special materials with antimicrobial coatings for walls and surfaces in high-traffic areas.
The other is to advocate for automation as opposed to human contact to limit the spread of the virus without compromising jobs.
Up-to-date travel advisories that allow airlines, travel companies to provide information to their users on the travel requirements and policies about the destination is another intervention identified.
Chicalu said the tourism industry has until 25 February to give their inputs before the tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta takes it to Cabinet for approval.
“We are looking at three months before the draft plan is approved. Once the industry gives their inputs, the minister will go through it and submit it to Cabinet for approval,” he noted.
The draft plan also encourages the industry to reconsider the checkout time in the accommodation establishments from 10h00 to 11h00.
Other strategic interventions are aggressive online marketing and promotion campaigns; attracting new geo and special segments of global travel markets; increasing tourism market intelligence through statistics, as well as improving accessibility and connectivity. Sibungo said the tourism sector and related industries should come up with new initiatives, products, measures, and campaigns to support the recovery process.
“It is our call to the industry to change the game plan and increase the national effort in order to revive the sector, faster. It is with this background that the ministry has responded and initiated a national tourism recovery strategy or plan for the next three years.
The plan provides a framework for planning, suggested strategic interventions, programmes and activities that must enjoy our priorities for the next three years,” she remarked. She said domestic tourism has been helping to mitigate the impact on jobs and businesses in some destinations in the country. She believes if Namibia’s recovery is well executed, the tourism sector could be one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economic recovery process for
Namibia.
The tourism recovery plan will be a roadmap that will help the tourism sector to revive, and its success is dependent on creating synergies, smart partnerships, better coordination and collaboration, and of course harmonisation of some policies, regulations, and standards that impact travel and tourism.
The government is expected to make the financial provision through treasury or budget allocation, supplemented by donors, development partners, and private sector funding for targeted projects.
–anakale@nepc.com.na