David Junias
In a public lecture hosted at Unam, the United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Dr Vera Songwe, realised a need for Namibia to consider increasing Covid-19 vaccinations as a means to an end of revitalising the tourism industry.
Similar to auditing, Dr Songwe acted as an external auditor for the Namibian economy in such a way. She had outlined key developmental ills in Namibia’s development chase: the wide disparity between the rich and the poor, which she has observed from touring the township of Katutura. Katutura has destitute living conditions of widespread corrugated zinc-iron houses, prone to Namibia’s hot climate.
There is a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots, when comparing the state of living in the township of Katutura and urban areas such as the suburbs of Windhoek.
Her auditing premiere of our economy has further exposed Namibia: To be vulnerable to climate change due to its hot climate; exposed Namibia’s economic dependency on South Africa and elsewhere; the necessity of social programmes prompts massive financial investment rather than actual economic development programmes; Namibia being well-perceived by the world in economic statistics, but actually, relatively doing bad economically; and the possibilities of being a regional logistics hub for Southern Africa. And Namibia is most vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19, especially within the tourism sector, which is the writer’s point of view.
However, Namibia recorded an increase in regional and international arrivals in the latest data by the Namibia Statistics Agency’s Travellers Arrivals and Departures Sectoral Report of August 2021. Their report emphasised that “the Index for Regional and International Arrivals recorded an increase of 39.8% on a monthly basis in August 2021, upward from a reduction of 8.3% registered in July 2021.”
The statistics of travellers’ arrivals and departures include tourists, and with the virtue of the indicated increment, it shows that at least tourists are gradually visiting Namibia.
Is the increment of travellers’ arrivals in Namibia due to the increased vaccinations of Namibians? Increased Covid-19 vaccinations of Namibians will draw the majority of tourists to Namibia, just as before, or as nearly as it was pre-Covid-19.
Tourists generally tend to feel unsafe among unvaccinated people, and so is everyone. However, vaccination is a personal choice in Namibia, and not compulsory. Yet, Namibia needs at least promising data for the vaccinated to prove as a safe destination for tourists.
Tourism is one of the major industries in Namibia. A higher number of Covid-19 unvaccinated people disrupts the tourism sector by scaring tourists from touring Namibia, fearing to mingle with unvaccinated Namibians, and spreading Covid-19.
The tourism sector has a multiplier effect on economic domestic business stimulations. Tourists bring foreign currency, local leisure industries generate revenue, local hawkers sell artworks and crafts to tourists, while the transportation industry also gets boots by transporting tourists.
All these multiplied economic stimulations have been affected by the decline in tourism activities in Namibia. And about 70% of jobs have been lost in the tourism industry, as per Dr Songwe’s analysis of the Namibian economy.
Sometimes, individuals refusing to be vaccinated are the same ones employed in the tourism sector. Therefore, robbing themselves of employment in the first place. And it as well affects the downstream of careers and industries created by tourism.
Getting a Covid-19 ‘jab’ still remains a personal choice, and the writer is not necessarily advocating for compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations. Anyway, Namibia will boost the tourism industry by increasing the number of Covid-19 vaccinations, creating a safer, healthier dwelling destination for tourists.
* David Junias holds an honors degree in business management from NUST. He works for Global link and consultants CC. davidjunias@gmail.com