Maj. Gen. (Rtd) J. B Tjivikua
Tourism contributes N$32.5 billion to the Namibian economy, which is about 14.7% of the GDP. About 63 companies employ 3 483 workers, amounting to 15.4% of total employment in the country. Beyond doubt, Namibia is a tourist destination which offers international tourists pristine beauty, unique cultural, natural and adventure experiences, abundant wildlife, safari destinations and long coastlines, among other must-see experiences that appeal to tourists coming to the African continent. The Big Five are also here. Sadly, attacks on tourists directly influence tourism demand and supply, and directly impacts both jobs and gross income in the country.
Safety and security
In the early 1950s, the revolution of mass tourism led to the rise of safety and security issues into the domain of travel and tourism across the world. In the 1970s, the concept of safety and security in tourism became more prominent. In the contemporary world, tourism is regarded as a
crucial economic stimulator for developing “economically underdeveloped” countries in the global South across the African continent. Therefore, if crime within the tourism industry is not nipped in the bud, it affects the economic and social spheres of the country.
Essentially, tourists mostly travel to enjoy serenity and peace. They want to feel safe and secure. In this case, therefore, they will not select a destination with political instability and threats to safety, such as crime and terrorism. As such, issues relating to safety and security, peace and stability highly influence visitors’ decision-making when choosing a destination (Gary, 2013). It is for these reasons that tourists and investors put their money in safer destinations rather than destinations under attack (Brondoni, 2016). Therefore, every traveller has a dream destination, which must never be shattered.
Mitigation strategies
Essentially, safety and security affects the demand and supply chains of tourism. Therefore, it is crucial that safety and security concerns are thoroughly understood to adopt mitigation strategies. Admittedly, tourism is a global and competitive industry, which makes it highly sensitive to the perceptions of danger and lack of safety and security. As such, adequate safety and security give a country or destination a competitive advantage. There are three primary conditions for the successful development of tourism in a set location: “peace, safety and security”. Without those conditions, tourists are likely to be victimised, negatively affecting the image of the country and the income derived from tourism. It is, therefore, imperative that safety and security aspects are prioritised at every level in order for the tourism sector to thrive, and to contribute to the economy and employment in general. All in all, the primary responsibilities to safeguard tourists and the overall developmentof tourism in the country lies with the tourism sector, the national police, the respective municipal police services, and the communities at large.
According to Towner and Wall (1991), the basic elements of tourism of the future are: tourists, modes and conditions of travel, accommodation, dangers and costs. All these elements are in a sense directly related to the safety of the tourists. As such, the model of travel needs to be reliable, reputable and safe (Gyr, 2010), and accommodation in the form of “inns” had to be of such a nature to assure a safe resting place or stopover, where the tourist guide or cicerone is there to educate and to protect, and see to the safety and well-being of tourists (Pond, 1993). As such, destinations need to anticipate and prevent major security and safety incidents and their consequences. Law-enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving crimes facing tourists. Hence, careful consideration must be given to who else in the community shares responsibility for the problem, and can help police better respond to it. However, proper analysis of our local problem should also give us a better understanding of the factors contributing to it. Once we have analysed the problem and established a baseline for measuring effectiveness, we should then in addition consider to put adequate responses in place. The establishment of a 24-hour police information counter or hotline, specifically designated for tourists to report crime or needing information and for providing safety tips, and broadcasting precautionary messages at airports, hotels, models, lodges, inns, etc; Encourage hotels, motels and lodges to adopt practices that will reduce guests’ victimisation; Educate tourists to reduce their risk of victimisation; Increase uniform patrols at high-risk tourist locations, and; The establishment of Tourists Protection Units, strengthened by elements of surveillance and robust crime intelligence mechanisms, etc.
Common crime
Attacks on tourists is a worrisome problem. Tourists are targeted through, but it is not limited to, pickpocketing, mugging and robbery, and in unfortunate cases, tourists are injured or killed. As such, the nature of the crime is complicated. There are petty crimes and violent crimes, house burglaries, often by armed gangs, and hold-ups and robberies of restaurants during peak hours, although some of these incidents happened in the past.
In addition, theft from parked tourist cars does occur, and also thieves targeting tourists’ cars waiting at traffic lights to smash and grab handbags, phones and laptops. This has now become an eyesore. Therefore, if tourists are to travel to destinations, their trips and transport must be carefully planned and coordinated, and their accommodation be arranged and secured in advance. Where necessary, the advice of the local police or security services must be sourced.
Conversely, unwary tourists also make easy targets for thieves because they stand out in a crowd, are not used to their surroundings, and are generally carrying money, credit cards and valuables like cameras, etc. Tourists can reduce the risks of being mugged or robbed by taking a few simple precautions.
In summary, crime prevention can be understood as “strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crime occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes” (UNODC, 2010:9). Therefore, government must properly comprehend the problem at hand and its severity, review the factors that contribute to it, and come up with mitigating strategies that could be effective in solving the problem. Equally, it is also important to identify stakeholders, partners and agencies from both the public and private sector, including communities, who could help to curb this crime effectively. In addition, government agencies and private firms can pool their resources and expertise in a collaborative effort to combat the menace. The situation is dire, and government must take the initiative by streamlining aforementioned mitigating responses with the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), which is a developmental approach to safety design which could serve as a catalyst for our problems in this regard.
* Maj. Gen. (Rtd) J. B Tjivikua