WINDHOEK – About 100 travel agents of the Germany-based tourism tour operator, DERTOUR are currently in Namibia to experience first-hand the African flair and more especially the Namibian experience. The tour is made possible by the Namibia Tourism Board, Air Namibia, the Gondwana Collection, Safari Court Hotel and Sense of Africa.
Split into five groups, the DERTOUR staffers travelled through Namibia for several days on different routes.
They visited Kalahari Anib Lodge on the fringe of the Kalahari, followed by the Namib Desert Lodge at the foot of the fossilised dunes of the Namib, Damara Mopane Lodge near Khorixas in Damaraland and Etosha Safari Camp. There were also viewings at other lodges and they stopped at various sights.
The group was unanimous that Etosha was the highlight of their trip. “We watched a pride of five lions take a giraffe. Right in front of our eyes, at the parking site!” The visit was meant to allow the travel agents to share first-hand experiences with clients and thus sell the travel destination Namibia in a more authentic and enthusiastic way. According to the NTB, bookings to Namibia rose by some 30 percent after the two previous DERTOUR country specials in Namibia, which took place in 2006 and 2009. DERTOUR’s Director for Africa, Petra Fraatz, thanked the sponsors who made the visit possible saying, “Namibia is definitely worth a visit.”
By Staff Report