The best plan for tourism

Wilfred Weise writes:

"Do not cut spending on tourism", Ms Zelna Hengari's, managing director of NWR, article in the Republikein dated 6 July 2017 refers.

Please allow me the opportunity to commend on this article in your newspaper. I am in the tourism trade since 2004 and there are different role players that should be referred to and not just Government alone.

We are quick to refer to HPP, NDP5, Vision 2030, etc, ect. These are projections far away into the future but we oversee the daily problem currently on the ground. First get your house in order today and then you plan for the future by way of strategic planning based on 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc ect projections. Any long term projections you do are linked to fiction and risks. None can be secured and guaranteed.

As said before, Government is not the only role player to sustain a high levels of tourism in Namibia. Others include MET, NTB, HAN, FENATA, TAN and maybe many more.

Our tourism standards are not on standard at all and these standards can make or break tourism in Namibia. On the other hand also, every tourist has access to the social media today and is well informed what is happening in Namibia before any tour is undertaken.

Do you think that foreign tourists are happy with the current rate of rhino poaching in Namibia? Questions are raised like what is your Government doing, why is the Police and Nature Conservation not in control of such situations?

Let us look into many other issues within the industry which is like cancer and can harm the total industry:

• There is no standard rules set for tour guides in their appearances as professionals. It is shocking to be at the airport and observe our Namibian guides when receiving tourists from abroad.

• Namibia has become too expensive already and does not cater for the local market. Very few Namibians today can afford booking into a lodge for a weekend.

• Our access gravel roads to top tourism spots like Sossusvlei, Twyfelfontein, Etosha and many more are road safety risks. Tourists don't pay for tours on bad roads.

Roads in Etosha are extremely bad and car rental companies have to spend thousands on their cars after each tour to these areas. Road construction machinery are parked at Namutoni now for months without repairing any roads.

The mistake MET is making is that tour operators don't have to plan tours to Etosha due to bad roads anymore. Erindi, Mount Etosha Safari Lodge, Otjiwa Safari Lodge, Omaruru Game Lodge and others can provide all required and even more to any tourist from abroad.

• The infrastructure, facilities and services of MET and NWR are not on standard. Many accommodation facilities fall apart and no daily maintenance are carried out. Staff are not properly trained in hospitality standards and etiquette and many can't even speak a clear and proper English. Too little is invested in hospitality training for staff and therefor staff cannot be blamed but rather their employers.

• Many illegal tours are run by so called back yard and foreign guides. On every tour new faces are seen who were never seen before. If you monitor their guiding operations, type of transport and equipment you realise immediately these are not registered guides or operators.

So madame Hengari, as you can see there are many shortcomings in the current state of affairs. Our operations are not on standard and all role players have a serious responsibility to sustain a high level of professionalism.

We should get our daily house in order before our vision is focused on the far future. Correction on today's mistakes are tomorrow's successes.