Namibia’s Wildlife Resorts (NWR), a state-owned enterprise mandated to run the tourism facilities within the country together with a local production company, COPSS 94, on Thursday launched a radio and social media initiative to promote the safety of tourists.
The initiative was borne out of recent reports of robberies targeting primarily tourists, which became a grave concern to tourism industry players, said Nelson Ashipala, an NWR spokesperson, in a statement.
“NWR saw it fit to come on board a platform that will allow for awareness to be spread. The recent spike in robberies has created a particular fear among Namibians and tourists that, if not addressed, will make a significant dent in tourism numbers for our country,” he said in the statement.
According to Ashipala, current online reviews show how Namibian tourism has become a concern for international tourists. “It is further a concern that no one is tackling this civic problem,” he noted.
Ashipala said NWR’s activities on the program will include addressing tips on the radio and Facebook, and ideas on how one can stay safe but, most importantly, create assurance that Namibia is also one of the safest countries in Africa.
“Partnering up with COPSS, where we can educate but, most importantly, create awareness about safety, is something that we see as a positive contribution to the sustainability of the tourism industry. This program gets good views from the public and is very successful and we saw it as an important tool to promote our message,” said Matthias Ngwangwama, managing director of the NWR.
Ashipala said the NWR will also allow Namibians to experience and enjoy the shows by giving away a voucher to its establishments every month for the next 12 months on the COPSS program.
