By Wezi Tjaronda
WINDHOEK
Around 40 youths from the different regions attended a training workshop on Youth in Tourism to prepare them for opportunities in the industry.
The training follows the launch of the Namibia Youth Tourism Empowerment Programme in May this year. The programme forms part of the regional Cross-Border Tourism Youth Empowerment that started in South Africa in 2002 to increase the level of youth participation in the tourism sector, to establish joint venture projects that enhance youths’ ownership in the sector and to establish a tourism knowledge bank in each participating country.
The orientation workshop took the participants through topics such as setting up B&B/guesthouse, cultural village arts and crafts centre, hunting and game farms, travel agencies and tour operator businesses, financing for tourism businesses, as well as sports tourism in view of the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nation’ Cup in South Africa and Angola in 2010 respectively.
Deputy Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, Pohamba Shifeta, said the youth could find employment and recreation in tourism, which is the fastest-growing business sector in the world.
The Tourism Satellite Account released last year said Namibia was among the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world.
“Due to the advancements in global travel and communications, the tourism industry has been experiencing phenomenal growth worldwide. Places that used to be perceived as remote and inaccessible are now beginning to popularize tourism,” said Shifeta.
Shifeta called on the industry to involve the youth in their businesses and to empower them with skills that would enable them to find employment in the industry.
Patron of the programme, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Wildlife Resorts, Tobie Aupindi, urged the youth to start getting involved in issues that concern the development of the country.
“Tourism has become the fastest-growing economy in the world, yet the youth are spectators in their own country. They have lost touch,” he said.
Aupindi told the youth to get organized and to reach out for opportunities that are being offered.
“Don’t wait for the ship to come to the harbour; swim to the ship,” he said.
The tourism industry is one of the new sectors that the youth could venture into by moving away from traditional businesses such as kapana, said National Youth Council Secretary-General, Juliet Kavetuna.
She said, however, there was need to advocate for a conducive environment for youth empowerment because of problems the youth face in acquiring start-up capital from institutions because of requirements such and security.
The workshop was attended by youth representatives from rural youth clubs, community health workers, OVC volunteer forums, Scripture Union artists, tour operators, environmental clubs, HIV clubs, party youth leagues, conservancies and the Ministry of Youth.