By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK
One of the largest and most influential tour operators from Switzerland will visit Namibia starting tomorrow until May 28.
Knecht Reisen will send around 100 of their travel agents and management representatives as well as members of the Swiss travel media.
The ‘Edutainment-Special’ is a mixture of a familiarisation trip and intensive workshop, which aims to convey in-depth knowledge of the destination.
The visit will enable agents to use their first-hand knowledge to ensure a competent and active consultation for customers in their travel agencies.
Knecht Reisen organised the educational trip in close cooperation with the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) in Frankfurt, Germany.
Air Namibia and Sense of Africa will support the project as main sponsors.
Additional sponsors are Leading Lodges of Africa, Legacy Hotels and Goche Ganas.
The initiative also makes sense in light of the soccer World Cup 2010 in neighbouring South Africa, the statement issued by the NTB read.
The travel agents from Switzerland, which will host the Euro 2008 together with Austria, will bring their soccer euphoria to Namibia.
The Managing Director of Knecht Reisen, Roger Geissberger is also the Vice President of Aarua Football Club, a Swiss Premier League team.
A partnership agreement, which will include the exchange programme for Namibian soccer players, will be signed on Friday between Aarua Football Club and Namibia’s Brave Warriors.
The partnership will assist in positioning Namibia for deriving benefits from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“We are very happy that Namibia will be the destination of the upcoming Knecht Reisen Edutainment-Special. We appreciate that one of the leading Swiss tour operators and specialist for Southern Africa is investing in the future of tourism in our country,” states the Area Manager: Europe of the Maureen Posthuma Area of the NTB in Frankfurt, Germany.
“We would like to thank all partners, especially the local travel agency, Sense of Africa for their commitment,” adds Posthuma.