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Home / HAN congress and tourism trade forum launched
HAN congress and tourism trade forum launched
2017-11-13Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Windhoek-Namibia Breweries is once again the main sponsor of the annual 2017 Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) Congress, HAN Tourism Trade Forum (HTTF), as well its 30th anniversary gala as part of this year’s programme. At the launch which took place at the NBL headquarters in Windhoek last week, the managing director of NBL, Wessie van der Westhuizen, handed a cheque of N$130,000 to HAN national chairman, Shepherd Chinhoi, which is up from last year’s N$100,000.00. Van der Westhuizen said: “NBL has for the past 27 years enjoyed a fruitful and longstanding relationship with HAN. We have become more than just partners in promoting and marketing a sustainable tourism industry – in fact, we are more like family. Therefore, we are and remain committed to the cause as can best be described in the O&L Purpose of ‘Creating a future, enhancing life.’” “The tourism industry presents countless growth opportunities for us, but we need to seize them by raising our game and gear up for growth. We must uplift our value proposition, innovate and transform ourselves to rise above competition. It cannot be business as usual.” He added: “Namibia is a fantastic brand! It has a great offering for tourists and even locals to experience the time of their lives. Therefore, marketing the brand is a key element for success, and in promoting Namibia as a brand, everyone’s goal should be to strive for equity, where input and output are well balanced and result in optimal results.” Van der Westhuizen highlighted NBL’s commitment in support of local tourism with reference to other initiatives supported by the company. These include the Save the Rhino campaign; television programmes like ‘Groen Namibie’ (aired on DSTV’s KykNet channel) and Wild Jobs Namibia (Season 3 aired on local broadcaster NBC). These programmes are proudly sponsored by NBL’s premium beer brand, Windhoek Lager. NBL is also a partner with the Intelligence Support Against Poaching (ISAP); the Fish River Ultra Marathon (with all proceeds going to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)), and has the Tafel Lite/Light Educational drive at the annual Tourism Expo, amongst others. According to HAN chief executive officer Gitta Paetzold, Namibia’s tourism industry has made tremendous strides, with the past two years seeing some of the highest visitor numbers ever recorded. Paetzold said: “As HAN reaches a major milestone this year, able to look back on 30 years of service to the Namibian tourism industry, the organization is eager to reflect on and plan for a sustainable tourism industry for the next decades together with its key partners and stakeholders, who jointly contribute to the success of this industry. “Together with its valued and trusted sponsors and partners, HAN has realized that in view of global developments, be they environmental or political, it has become obvious that the world is changing rapidly and the ability and responsibility to adapt to such changes is vital to ensure continued business success. The massive growth in tourism in Namibia calls for thorough review and strategic planning to ensure continued and sustainable growth, making this year’s HAN event all the more important.” Other sponsors for the 2017 activities include Standard Bank Namibia, Bannerman Resources and Air Namibia. This year’s programme will include an awards gala to celebrate HAN’s 30th anniversary in style. The evening also includes internationally renowned musicians and entertainers as well as magicians to mesmerize guests. Paetzold said: “For the 2017 event, HAN will provide a platform for the entire tourism industry and all participants to ‘work towards an awakening, changing world’. Interactive engagement with the renowned international facilitator Saffron Baggallay will enable delegates to recognize the challenges of a changing world and identify individual potential and responsibility to adapt and manage such changes effectively, to be able to run successful businesses. “This is an opportunity not to be missed, and HAN is confident that this interaction will enable not only this association, but all of its members and participants to the congress and trade forum to step into the next decade with confidence and adaptive skills needed in this ever-changing environment, and more importantly, to do this as a unified team of tourism service providers!” The HAN congress will take place on Thursday, November 23 at the Safari Hotel Conference Centre, followed by a tourism networking cocktail at the Safari Hotel pool area, while the HTTF takes place the next day at the Nossob Hall at Safari, with the 30th anniversary gala in the evening at the Namib Conference Hall. 2017-11-13Staff Report 2
