WINDHOEK, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The tourism sector is expected to experience negative to zero growth until well into 2022, said Namibian President Hage Geingob said in a statement at the official opening of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Africa Regional Conference in Windhoek Tuesday.
Namibia is currently hosting the UNWTO Regional Conference on "Strengthening Brand Africa for the Swift Recovery of the Tourism Sector" from June 14 to 16.
Geingob said even though the encouraging news regarding the development of COVID-19 vaccines has boosted hopes for a recovery of tourism business and travel, challenges continue to persist.
"Due to limited access to vaccines in the developing world, the sector faces the potential of numerous stop/start cycles for some time. This will further damage business and traveler confidence, and business survival prospects," he said.
According to Geingob, Namibia commenced with the Tourism Revival Initiative Strategy (TRIS) in June 2020, which culminated in the development of Tourism Safety and Security Protocol Guidelines to safeguard the health of staff and clients engaged in tourism.
"This process was spearheaded by the Namibia Tourism Board in consultation with the private sector and reviewed by the UNWTO. During the planning stages of our TRIS, the tourism sector has relied on domestic tourism, which has sustained jobs and businesses in some destinations," he said.
Domestic tourism, however, can only partially compensate for the loss of inbound tourism.
Geingob said real recovery of the tourism sector will only be possible when international tourism returns to pre-COVID-19 levels.
"In this regard, the effective implementation of the UNWTO Agenda for Africa 2030 -- Tourism for inclusive growth, is more pertinent than ever," said Geingob, adding post-COVID-19 tourism level recovery also requires global cooperation and evidence-based solutions that will enable the safe lifting of travel restrictions. Enditem
